Where You Belong
by sergeant assassin
Summary: Kurosaki Ichigo lost his powers after sacrificing them to take down Sosuke Aizen. Now he's back...a lot sooner than expected, and with a little extra help to face the trials and problems ahead of him. Fullbringers, Aizen's resurrection, and...Rukia's advances?
1. Chapter 1

_**Where You Belong**_

_***A/N: Hello, it's Sgt. Assassin. Some of you may be wondering, "Why is he writing another fic while he's already got one in the works?" Well, here's your answer to that question, and the other one you also probably have: "Why hasn't he continued said fic?"**_

_**I could very well blame Tite Kubo for being such an awesome writer, but I have to decline on that (he's still an awesome writer, though). Lately, my focus has shifted from Naruto to Bleach, and I cannot seem to wrap my head around it as of right now. I have a half-finished chapter for JKNR: TCW, but I can't, for the life of me, seem to find the correct way to end it (the chapter, not the story).**_

_**So, I'm going to keep at it, but at the same time, I figured I'd go ahead and write this one that's been buzzing in my head for quite some time. I've decided to go ahead and add an OC character to the story, and while it will change things, I am keeping the main pairing of Ichi/Rukia (not enough are made, IMO), while there will be a slightly less main pairing of OC/Soifon.**_

_**So, without further ado (and my rambling to go with it), I give you my second fic. Enjoy!**_

_**Chapter 1: Reminiscence **_

17 months...

17 months since Kurosaki Ichigo lost his Shinigami powers. 17 months since Aizen's defeat at the hands of "a mere human". 17 months since Ichigo unwittingly got exactly what he'd so longingly asked for: To just be a normal human living a normal life.

How he regretted it. Losing his powers was a necessary evil, he knew. He had no regrets about what took place between him and Aizen. The man had a convoluted God-complex, and he needed to be put down like a dog with rabies. Still, the ramifications of what he'd done were not as prominent at the time. He had one sole thought on his mind: Defeat Aizen.

Well, that wasn't exactly true. He didn't want to defeat Aizen. He wanted to _destroy_ Aizen. Tear him apart. Make him rue the day he fucked with his friends. Regret the thought of even TRYING to use his hometown of Karakura as a sacrifice to obtain omniscience. Make him suffer, beg, and plead for his life, knowing that his cries would go unheard.

Yes, Ichigo would have liked nothing better than to wipe that smug smirk off that bastard's face, and he got to do just that.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Kurosaki Ichigo..."_

_Ichigo looked to the side, not even acknowledging Aizen's words as he gazed at Ichimaru Gin, the man laying crumpled in a pool of his own blood, his right arm missing completely as Matsumoto Rangiku hovered over his prone form._

"_Are you really...Kurosaki Ichigo?" Aizen's repeated question had Ichigo turn his seemingly uninterested gaze back to the traitor._

"_...What do you mean?" he asked._

"_If you are really Kurosaki Ichigo...then I am most disappointed. I do not sense a particle of reiatsu from you. Even if you were concealing it, it would not vanish entirely. It is impossible to completely erase one's presence through concealment." he droned. "You have failed at attaining evolution. You have taken the last feeble chance I gave you, and have tossed it aside like so much worthless trash."_

_Despite his grievous and life-ending wounds, Gin's ice blue eyes never wavered in their gaze back, the two men staring at one another as if each could read the other's thoughts._

_Regarding Ichigo's new appearance, Gin managed a small smile. '_Ahh...he has the eyes of a warrior now.'_ he thought, chuckling as he remembered back to just an hour ago, when the same man before him had been on his knees in complete despair over Aizen's new acquisition of power, the Hogyouku now completely fused with the man's body. He'd offered the youth the chance to flee, to run and hide as Sosuke Aizen proceeded to wipe Karakura from the face of the planet. Normally, Ichigo would have vehemently protested even the THOUGHT of doing that, but his fear had clogged his throat, making voicing his opinions all but impossible._

'I'm so glad. I can go now, knowin' it's okay...to trust you with the rest of it.' _Gin's smile never left his lips, even as his eyes closed for the last time._

_Reaching a hand out in a mock gesture of sympathy, Sosuke Aizen smirked. "It's really too bad, Kurosaki Ichigo-"_

"_Aizen."_

_Suddenly interrupted, Aizen's smirk left his face, replaced with a small frown. "Let's take this somewhere else." Ichigo continued, looking over to where Tatsuki, Keigo, Chizuru, Kanonji, Mizuro, and Zennosuke were standing in complete awe of the two titans in front of them._

_Tatsuki's earlier thoughts were echoing though her head. 'I don't feel anything. This isn't right! From this man, I feel an overwhelming spiritual presense, so much so that it feels as though him being here is crushing my bones to dust! But from Ichigo...from Ichigo, I don't feel anything.'_

_Aizen's smirk returned. "The words that have left your lips are nothing more than a meaningless proposal. Those words are reserved solely for those with the power to pose a challenge to me. However, you need not worry yourself. I will leave the destruction of Karakura Town until after I-"_

_Once again, Aizen found himself abruptly and rather rudely cut off, this time with a hand slamming into his face. He felt the fingers grip around his head with vice-like tension, and he was suddenly airborne, his eyes wide as he was hurled though the air, Ichigo's grip not slacking in the slightest as he forcibly removed Aizen from Karakura._

_The only thought that was able to make its' way to Aizen's dumbfounded mind was complete and utter shock. It was quickly replaced by the sensation of being thrown downwards, a thought that was proven correct as his back impacted with the hard rock of Seireitei, the ground giving out as he impacted._

_Clutching his face, Aizen's shock was still very much visible. '_I-impossible! W-with his bare hand...he drove me this far?'_ Hearing the sound of feet meeting the ground, Aizen looked up to see Ichigo look at him with a disinterested stare. Yet, there was a hint of utter loathing behind his diamond-edged glare._

_Ichigo's next words got his attention, even if the hand to the face hadn't already. "Let's begin, Aizen. I'll finish this in an instant."_

_Aizen's brain repeated those words, and he smirked once more. "Finish this in an instant, you say? I think I understand now, Kurosaki Ichigo. Why you have apparently lost your spiritual pressure." Ichigo's dull stare only urged him to continue. "You have not lost it, per say. You have merely parted with it, or rather, thrown it away."_

"_While the method with which you accomplished this is unclear even to me, you have managed to convert the entirety of your massive spiritual pressure into your spiritual body's physical strength. It enhances everything from your muscular strength to your footwork, grip strength, throw strength, speed, and even agility. In exchange for drastically improving every facet of your spiritual body's prowess, you have sacrificed your reiatsu completely."_

_Not finished with his self-explanation, he continued. "You finally accepted the fact that you could not and can never challenge my reiatsu with your own. Nevertheless, I must now bring despair upon you. For even with this last-ditch attempt at victory with your physical strength, you cannot hope to even come close to the power I've now achieved."_

_Seemingly satisfied with his speech, Aizen glowed with an ethereal light, and the wings on his back spread out, giving him a slightly more menacing appearance...about as menacing as you can look while having butterfly wings attached to your back._

_Ichigo looked on, one of his eyebrows raising ever so slightly. "...What?"_

_Within the blink of an eye, Aizen seemingly vanished amid a bright flash of light. His eyes casually scanning the surroundings, Ichigo looked to his right just before Aizen reappeared, his sword already in motion. Bringing his own blade around, Ichigo effortlessly deflected Aizen's strike. The two blades clashed, then separated, and the resulting shockwave turned the upper part of a nearby plateau into rubble, the rock seeming to disintegrate under the harsh assault._

_Leaping back from one another, the two combatants separated, Aizen's small smirk never leaving his face. "Very well done. However, you must be rather shocked. The very earth bends to my will with a single stroke of my blade. This is just a taste of the power I've obtained. Yet, I must confess. Even I had not suspected my power level to rise this extremely."_

_Ichigo merely let Aizen continue, his eyes never leaving the transcendent being before him. "If you haven't been able to tell, I am rejoicing, Kurosaki Ichigo. Thanks to you, I will be able to test these powers that transcend both Hollows and Shinigami alike to my heart's content."_

_Grinning now, Aizen leapt forward, very much intent on inflicting bodily harm to the man before him. Ichigo merely raised his blade in a defensive block, the blow veering off to the side and annihilating a nearby cluster of rocks. This continued for some time, as each of Aizen's wild strikes were deflected by a noncommittal block from Ichigo. The terrain around them was drastically being reshaped, as each strike produced a shockwave that ripped though rock and sand like a knife through wet paper._

"_I'm hardly finished, Kurosaki Ichigo!" proclaimed Aizen, and he made for another strike. This time, Ichigo simply dodged, using a soundless Shunpo to land on a nearby plateau._

"_Did you think I would not be able to follow such slow movements?" came a voice, and Ichigo looked up to see Aizen descend upon him, the transcendent's blade carving easily through the rock where Ichigo stood moments before, another Shunpo carrying the orange-haired man away from harm._

_Landing once more, Ichigo looked to the right out of the corner of his eye, and seconds later, Aizen appeared, swinging his blade in a downward arc. This time, their blades met without the resulting shockwave, and they locked blades while looking at one another._

"_It is rather curious that both of our supposed evolutions have wrought the same end, as both of our right arms seem fused with our Zanpakuto." Aizen began. "Perhaps this is the form that all Zanpakuto should take? Could it possibly be their true form?" Aizen then chuckled, causing Ichigo to raise an eyebrow slightly._

"_What's so funny?"_

"_Indeed it is as I had suspected." Aizen continued. "Just now, as we clashed, I was able to deduce something from our exchange of blades. As I thought, your evolution and mine are on different levels altogether." Grinning, he brought his sword back in an arc across his chest, preparing for a rather fierce blow. "If I so much as wish it, I can shatter your blade in a single stroke!" Finished cocking back, Aizen swung his sword, a slight glow coming from his blade as he poured more power into this strike then the ones he'd previously used._

_Unblinking and seemingly uncaring, Ichigo took a second to let the blade get closer, before deciding to put a crack in Aizen's self-confident armor. Lifting his hand, he nonchalantly caught the blade, his expression betraying nothing short of boredom. The reaction from Aizen was immediate. His eyes widened considerably, and only grew larger as the ground immediately behind Ichigo cracked, fractured, then broke entirely, the fissure stretching for several yards._

'I-impossible! He caught it?! I suppose I could understand if he dodged it. Even so, he shouldn't have been able to even dodge it, but I would understand if he did. Yet, he caught it?! He caught my strike?!'_ Aizen's thoughts were clearly portrayed on his face, and Ichigo decided to dig the knife a little deeper._

"_Why are you so surprised?" he asked. Getting a startled gasp from Aizen, he continued. "Is it so unbelievable to think that I could catch your sword?"_

'What?'

_Ichigo continued, twisting the emotional knife that he'd stabbed Aizen with. He figured that, since turnabout was fair play, he'd use Aizen's own words against him. "Are you scared? Scared of something that you have no comprehension of?"_

_Aizen seemed to pause, remembering his own words that he'd spoken to the youth. It seemed ages ago since he'd mocked the young man, but now it was coming back to bite him in a rather peculiar way. He chuckled, getting a raised eyebrow from the other man. "How very interesting, Kurosaki Ichigo."_

_Pulling his sword away, he leapt back several feet, getting distance between himself and Ichigo. "Something that I have no comprehension of? Perish the thought. Do not let your momentary victory cloud your judgment. Your physical strength momentarily exceeded mine. That is all, nothing more. Miracles like that happen from time to time, so it is to be expected. However, I am a being that has transcended even that."_

_Raising his arm and pointing to the sky, Aizen began to glow a dark purple, hints of black seeping out from his aura. "Therefore, in order to prevent such a miracle from occurring again, I need only crush you to atoms with Kido!" He then began to recite the chant:_

"_**Nijimidasu kondaku no monsho,**_

_**Fusonnaru kyōki no utsuwa,**_

_**Wakiagari hiteishi,**_

_**Shibire matataki,**_

_**Nemuri wo samatageru!**_

_**Hakosuru tetsu no ojo,**_

_**Taezu jikaisuru doro no ningyo!**_

_**Ketsugōseyo! Hanpatsuseyo!**_

_**Chi ni michi onore no muryoku wo shire!**___

_**Hado no Kyuujuu! KUROHITSUGI!**_

_**(The Seeping Crest of Corruption,**_

_**The Insolent Vessel of Madness,**_

_**Boil Forth and Deny,**_

_**Petrify and Flicker,**_

_**Disrupt the Slumber!**_

_**The Iron Princess Who Crawls,**_

_**The Mud Doll, Ever Disintegrating!**_

_**Unite! Oppose! Fill the Earth, and Know Your Own Impotence!**_

_**Hado #90: Black Coffin)"**_

_The second he finished, the Black Coffin began to form, building itself around the unfortunate soul who had the misfortune of having a Level 90 Kido used on them. "Now that I have transcended both Hollows and Shinigami, I can cast a Kurohitsugi with a full incantation! It's gravitational power is enough to distort space and time itself! The likes of you cannot even BEGIN to comprehend this...KUROSAKI ICHIGO!"_

_Ichigo stood there, his eyes never leaving Aizen, even as the Kido began to complete itself, slowly but surely closing him off completely, until he was consumed by the Black Coffin, the last piece falling into place with a resounding _THUD. _Aizen stood before his creation, a small smirk on his face._

_The Coffin lasted about 10 seconds, before a sharp _CRACK_ was heard, the sound like that of broken glass. Aizen's eyes widened and he gasped as Ichigo swung his hand in an arc away from him, the pressure shattering the Kido and causing it to fall apart before him._

_Aizen could only watch in horror as his Level 90 Kido with a FULL INCANTATION was destroyed. Not only that, it was destroyed with merely a sweep of his hand!_

"_You don't seem to get it, do you?"_

_Ichigo's words brought Aizen out of his stupor. He could only stare at the man as he continued. "The power you have acquired pales in comparison to the power I currently have." He began to walk forward, even as the last traces of the Kurohitsugi disintegrated and vanished with the wind. "The sword that destroyed that plateau earlier..." Aizen thought back, remembering their first exchange of blows. "...was mine, not yours."_

_Aizen's shock only increased, and he was not prepared for what happened next. His eyes narrowing in barely concealed anger, Ichigo spoke. "Let's continue, Aizen." With that, he pushed off the ground, Aizen unable to stop his slash as his blade carved a path upwards, from his left ribcage to his right shoulder._

_Aizen's blood arced away from them like water from a fountain. A second later, Aizen disappeared, reappearing atop a nearby plateau, cringing and holding his shoulder as blood seeped though his hands._

"_Such a strange feeling."_

_Aizen's attention was once more drawn to the man below. "In our last fight, you asked me why I distanced myself from you, and yet here you are doing the same. Maybe I should be the one to ask the question this time."_

_Looking up, Ichigo's eyes carried a hint of satisfaction at pushing Aizen into a corner. "Just now, why did you distance yourself from me?"_

_Aizen stood there in shock. He was right. He had done just that, and had RAN from this...this BOY! His eyes narrowed. "I see." His right arm began to tremble in anger as he gripped his blade tighter. "Are you happy that you were able to catch my sword?" He continued, not giving the other a chance to respond. "Are you happy that you destroyed my Kido? Are you happy that you injured my body?" Even as Aizen said this, the wound Ichigo had made was already closing, high-speed regeneration working to close the gaping gash in his shoulder._

_Aizen could no longer contain his rage. "ABANDON YOUR ARROGANCE, YOU PITIFUL **HUMAN**!" Suddenly, the black diamond in the middle of his forehead shattered, and a third eye was revealed. Blood began to leak from its' tear ducts, running down Aizen's face. Aizen began to gasp, unable to breath properly, before a resounding _SNAP_ was heard, and Aizen's head cantered to one side, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The third eye began to look around rapidly, before completely rolling 360 degrees. Aizen's face seemed to crack, almost as if his skin had become brittle. Then, his eyes seemed to come to life, and the world exploded._

_Aizen's roar of rage could be heard above the clamor, as a bright purple light enveloped his body and shot into the sky. Clutching his face in agony, Aizen underwent another transformation. The purple light seemed to coalesce into a solid tower, before fracturing and exploding outward. A blood-like substance covered the plateau Aizen had been standing on, and for a split second, Ichigo thought that Aizen had self-destructed._

_This was proven incorrect a second later, when out from the dust cloud came a Hollow-like being, barely recognizable as Aizen. His six wings had sprouted Hollow-like skulls at their tips, one for each wing. The semi-hole in Aizen's chest had been replaced by three holes running vertically along his torso, the top hole housing the Hogyouku. His body was completely white, save for his forearms, forelegs, and his face, which were black as death. His blade was fused with his wrist, replacing his right hand entirely. His face had split down the middle and had parted, revealing a black skull-like visage underneath. His new "face" was completely Hollow-like, the teeth curved in a sadistic smirk as he took in his opponent._

"_**I see.**" came the distorted voice of Aizen. "**This is completely unacceptable, isn't it, Hogyouku? That I would lose...to a pitiful human such as him!**"_

_Upon saying this, one of his skull wings arched backwards, and let loose what would later be known as a Fragor blast at Ichigo, the energy ball about as big as a large marble. The resulting blast, however, was akin to a nuclear detonation, as it first blasted the surrounding rock, then proceeded to liquidate it with extreme heat. A mushroom cloud billowed upward, and the shockwave was felt even as far away as Karakura Town._

_Shielding herself from the superheated winds, Tatsuki looked at the billowing cloud of flame and smoke. "Ichigo."_

_Walking towards the edge of the inferno, Aizen looked into the flames, and spotted a haggard-looking Ichigo, his left arm sporting 3rd-degree burns up to the elbow, and his shukakusho torn and hanging off of him._

"_**I see.**" said Aizen. "**This is the extent of damage you would take from such an attack. However, I do not believe you are capable of using that left arm of yours now.**"_

_Using a nearly silent Sonido, Aizen burst through the flames, his clawed hand wrapped around Ichigo's throat as he spread his wings, each of the six skulls combining a Fragor to make a UltraFragor, a prison-like ring of solid reiatsu._

_Grinning, Aizen stood triumphant as he held Ichigo by the throat. "**Can you hear me, Kurosaki Ichigo? ****While at first, you became a transcendent being and surpassed the limits of both Hollows and ****Shinigami, you no longer possess that power. Not a trace of it remains. Now, you are not even worth understanding, let alone existing. By killing you, I, a TRUE transcendent being, will finally** **surpass those worthless Hollows and Shinigami, and take my rightful place as the KING of this world.**"_

_Gripping Ichigo's neck tighter, Aizen's grin broke into an evil smirk. "**IT'S OVER, KUROSAKI ICHIGO!**"_

_Ichigo opened his eyes, and his gaze hardened. "Over, you say?" Aizen gasped, sure that the orange-haired man was dead in his grasp. "Is this the best you got?" Swinging his blade, he forced Aizen to release his throat, shattering the UltraFragor and forcing the man to take several steps back._

_Looking up, Ichigo shook his head. "Let's put an end to this, Aizen. I'm sick and tired of your...convoluted explanations." Pointing his sword at Aizen, he placed his left hand on his right arm, in a position similar to when he would use Bankai. "Let me show you...the Final...Getsuga Tenshou..."_

_Blue and black reiatsu erupted around Ichigo, leaving Aizen stunned beyond words. Well, beyond most words: **"What...what is that...form?"**_

_Several seconds passed, and then the thick curtain of mixed reiatsu parted, forcing Aizen to cover his face at the sheer volume of it. It was like a wave of water passed over him, so thick the reiatsu. Looking up, Aizen couldn't stifle a gasp._

_Ichigo stood in the exact same spot he'd been previously. His outfit had changed drastically. Where his shukakusho had once been, now a bluish armor covered his chest. His left arm was wrapped loosely in black reiatsu. From the waist down, a flowing, smoky hakama was present, similar to his Tensa Zangetsu outfit. His right arm was also covered in the same smoky black reiatsu. His eyes had gone from being a golden amber to a dull red, but the most prominent and obvious change was his waist-length black hair, billowing to the left as his entire body radiated power._

"_The Final Getsuga Tenshou is when I...BECOME Getsuga." Ichigo spoke, his words cutting though the silence without hesitation. "The Final Getsuga Tenshou...if I use this technique...I will lose all of my Shinigami powers. That is why it is called 'Final'."_

_Aizen simply stood there, his body frozen in complete shock. **'**_**I STILL don't feel anything. I have evolved into a being that far surpasses Humans and Shinigami. Just as a two-dimensional being cannot interfere with a three-dimensional being, as long as I do not purposefully lower my reiatsu to their level of awareness, no one, Shinigami, Hollow, or Human, should be able to sense my presence.'**

_A thought struck Aizen, and it was one he did not like. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't deny the evidence in front of him, and it all pointed to one thing. **'**_**It can't be...it's not possible...could he...could he really be at an even higher dimension than my own?'**

_Even admitting it to himself brought about rage he'd never felt before. He grit his teeth hard enough to make noise as they ground together. Unable to contain his rage any longer, the cords in his neck visibly strained as he roared his protest. **"IMPOSSIBLE! IT CAN'T BE TRUE! A MERE HUMAN CANNOT SURPASS ME IN POWER! IT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE!"**_

_Ichigo merely held his right hand out, and a thin, wispy black blade of pure reiatsu appeared. He gripped it, and brought it over his head. Aizen's gasp could be heard, but Ichigo didn't care. He was going to take Aizen down...even if it cost him every last drop of power he had._

_Bringing the blade down, he spoke the one word that would seal Aizen's doom: "MUGETSU!" Black reiatsu, darker than hell itself, flooded the area, and Ichigo could hear Zangetsu's final words. "**If you use this technique...you will lose all of your Shinigami powers...Farewell...Ichigo!****" **With those last words spoken, Zangetsu and his Inner Hollow fell into the black abyss of his fading Inner World._

_Throughout the surrounding area, the sheer amount of power that was released was crushing. Mountain upon mountain of pure black reiatsu blanketed the area, and in the center of it all, Aizen's body was disintegrating piece by piece, his silent scream drowned out by the overwhelming force of the blast. Finally, the overwhelming power proceeded to tear his body apart, his flesh dissolving as Sosuke Aizen ceased to be._

_As the black reiatsu finally lifted, the shockwave was released from the powerful gravitational forces, and rippled across the ground. Landing on a nearby plateau, Ichigo sighed as his bluish armor crumbled and fell off his body. A thunderous crash drew his attention to the ground below. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the crumpled form of Aizen, his body disheveled and bleeding profusely._

_Rather suddenly, the large, vertical gash on his back began to close over itself, indicating that he still had some power left. Ichigo observed this with disdain. "He can still regenerate?" Using Shunpo, he appeared before Aizen, who at this point was struggling to stand. Ichigo looked upon him with mixed emotions: Hatred, Pity, Humor, Pride. That all changed when his flowing black hair tore itself from his scalp, leaving his natural strawberry orange hair in its' place._

_Ichigo's eyes widened as he felt all of his strength leave him. His legs gave out, and he fell to his knees, his arms supporting his upper body as he watched the last of his armor dissipate. "_Shit! My Shinigami powers...are disappearing! Not now! Not when I'm so close to ending this!'

_A boot meeting the ground had him look up, and Aizen came into view, barely managing to stand as he regarded his fallen foe. "Kurosaki Ichigo...you have lost. Look." Aizen held out his Zanpakuto, which was in the process of slowly disintegrating piece by piece. "My Zanpakuto is fading away. You of all people should know what this means." Ichigo knew, but what Aizen said next threw him for a loop, and made him sure that the man before him had lost his mind._

"_It means that the Hogyouku has determined that I no longer need a Zanpakuto! Like you, I have become one with my sword and it's powers-No, you no longer possess that power, while I will ascend to a place far superior to yours! IT'S OVER, KUROSAKI ICHIGO!"_

_As soon as he spoke this, a red light began to glow from his chest, causing Aizen to pause in confusion. Looking down, he saw a spike of red energy pierce his chest, followed by several more. What confused him was not that he was struck. What confused him was that he was struck FROM THE INSIDE._

_He was not a Kido master for nothing, and recognized it a second later. "What is this? Kido?! But when...when was I attacked?" He racked his brain, trying to remember a single instance when Kurosaki had used Kido. He had to remind himself that Kurosaki didn't KNOW any Kido. He'd never been trained in them. So if not Kurosaki, then who-_

"_It looks like it's finally taking effect."_

_His answer came unexpectedly in the form of Urahara Kisuke. "Urahara-san." came Ichigo's shocked greeting, having assumed that the former 12th Division Captain was still incapacitated._

_Aizen immediately rounded on the scientist. "Urahara Kisuke! This is your doing?!"_

_Urahara nodded slightly. "Hai. Before you were able to completely merge with the Hogyouku, at your most vulnerable moment, I placed a Kido inside another Kido, and fired it at you. You were able to deflect the Hado, but you did not even notice the Bakudo I'd hidden inside."_

_Urahara continued, seeing the realization dawn on the other man's face. "It's a seal. I had figured that if you managed to completely fuse with the Hogyouku, killing you would be nigh impossible. So, to counter your 'immortality', I created a new Kido to seal you away."_

_Aizen's grin was unmistakeable. "I see. How unfortunate for you. Behold! As of right now, I am about to undergo yet another transformation, one far stronger than the others. A Kido of this caliber can't even HOPE to suppress me!"_

_Suddenly, the white, skin-like substance, along with the remainder of Aizen's sword, disintegrated, leaving Aizen completely shocked. "Wha...what is this?"_

"_It's the Hogyouku's will." At the mention of this, Aizen turned to Urahara once again. "Yet, the reason that the seal I placed in your body back then is JUST NOW taking effect is because your powers have weakened considerably. It's all thanks to Kurosaki-san. He fought his hardest, and pushed you and your powers to the very limit."_

_Then came Urahara's damning proclamation: "The Hogyouku is saying...that it doesn't recognize you as its' master."_

_Aizen's eyes widened. "Impossible...that cannot be!" He cried out in agony as the red spikes pierced his flesh, now acting more like red javelins impaled in his body. Even as the seal began to work its' magic, Aizen remained defiant. "Urahara...URAHARA KISUKE! I DESPISE YOU! With all of your intellect, how can you stomach the thought of following, of serving that...that THING?!"_

"_'That thing?'" Urahara repeated. "You mean the Spirit King? ...I think I understand, now. You saw it too, didn't you?" He continued, not waiting for a reply. "Without the existence of the Spirit King, Seireitei would fall apart at the seams, and cease to exist. The Spirit King is the keystone to our foundation. That's just how fragile our world really is."_

_Urahara's words didn't seem to take. "THAT'S THE LOGIC OF A LOSER!" Even as he raged at Urahara, the seal was in its' final stages, the red javelins fusing to form two giant spears. Aizen continued to struggle, tearing parts of the red substance off of his body, only to have it regrow seconds later. "A WINNER MUST ALWAYS THINK...OF HOW THE WORLD **SHOULD** BE RATHER THAN HOW IT ACTUALLY IS!"_

"_I-" Aizen was cut off completely as the seal swallowed him whole, his body becoming the final spear and silencing him temporarily (at least until the seal was undone). Ichigo looked away, not able to stand the pitiful sight of Aizen any longer._

* * *

The bell rang, signaling the end of school for the day. Luckily, it was a Friday, so he wouldn't have to worry about anything for the next couple of days. Since losing his powers, he'd managed to easily catch up on his school work, and had breezed through today's work as well. He was doing fairly well, to be honest. If he kept his grades like they were, he'd be able to get into any college he desired. Even abroad, he would be able to go to several prestigious colleges.

That was not his concern at the moment. Gathering his materials, he quietly left the room, ignoring the looks of concern from his friends. They hadn't seen him smile in ages. Not one of those fake smiles he plastered on his visage whenever they asked him what the matter was. No, one of his real smiles, one that reached his eyes.

It pained them to see him this way, especially after he'd given everything he had to save them all. Uryu Ishida, Sado Yasutora, and Inoue Orihime knew just exactly what he'd given up, especially with the last battle they'd participated in.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Inoue, Chad, Renji, Ishida, Kon, and Rukia watched from a distance as Ichigo, not even able to maintain Bankai, instead relied on his Shikai to fend off the wild swings from a worn down Oko Yushima, the creator of Mod Souls. Even from the distance they were at, they could still hear his questions as he roared them at Ichigo._

"_WHY?! WHY CAN'T I DEFEAT YOU?!" he yelled, clearly frustrated and angered beyond reason. His final trump card had been destroyed, and it was painfully ironic that it had been his own Invasion Force that had done the deed. The Reigai had pledged to themselves that they would protect Soul Society at all costs, and had sacrificed themselves to prevent Yushima from completely destroying Seireitei._

_Now, as the shukakusho around his shoulders burned from the fires behind him, he stood before the Substitute Shinigami that had been the one anomaly in his plans, the only person who's attacks he could not absorb, as he had no control over Hollow powers. This 'Shinigami Daiko' had been a thorn in his side from day one, and had managed to remain so despite his best efforts._

_Shrugging the burning cloth off, he staggered forward, his thoughts betraying only one intent: if he was going to be defeated, then he would be DAMNED if he didn't take this infuriating man with him._

"_Why? Why can't I defeat you? What drives you so far? What gives you such strength?" As soon as he looked at Ichigo's face, he knew. His question, combined with Ichigo's pity-filled expression, gave him the answer immediately. It was the one answer that could drive him up a wall with no trouble at all, and cause him to throw away all rational thought._

"_Don't...don't you FUCKING SCREW WITH ME! DAMN YOU! YOU...YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO **PROTECT**, DON'T YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he roared, anger coursing though his veins and lending him a second wind. Ichigo was momentarily driven back by the man's savage strikes, but realized there was no hidden intent behind them. No strategy, no feints, nothing. Just pure, unadulterated rage. That made Ichigo even sadder, as the scientist spun and swung his sword again and again and again._

"_YOU HAVE **FRIENDS**! PEOPLE TO **BE **THERE FOR! PEOPLE TO **PROTECT**! PEOPLE TO **SHIELD**! PEOPLE TO BE **CLOSE** TO! TO **SHARE GOOD TIMES **WITH! TO **MAKE MEMORIES** WITH!" Each exclamation was followed by a savage strike aimed to cleave the Substitute in twain. However, because Yushima was so far gone in rage and despair, Ichigo had no problems parrying and deflecting these strikes._

_Following a particularly ruthless blow, both combatants were driven from one another. Ichigo could feel the overwhelming despair clouding Yushima, his need for companionship being brought to the forefront for the first time in centuries. Having never had a close relationship with anyone, Yushima was never able to create bonds with anyone, and was now regretting having missed that chance._

_Yushima was thinking similar thoughts about Ichigo. However, they were the polar opposite of what Ichigo was thinking of him. He could feel the desire to protect his comrades with each clash of their blades. He knew that if it came down to it, he would let himself be killed if it meant his friends would be safe._

'Only the weak would seek the aid of others.'_ His words rang though his head, targeting the man that had all but defeated him. Gripping his blade, he brought it down from it's lofty flight, and arced it around his body with all his might. "THEN **HOW?! **HOW THE HELL ARE YOU SO **STRONG?!**"_

_With a battle cry, Ichigo brought Zangetsu down in an overhead arc. Their blades met...and Yushima's Zanpakuto shattered like so much glass. He could hear his Zanpakuto's spirit cry out in agony as it was destroyed, and tears flooded his eyes. A shard of metal flew past his head, gouging a line through his cheek. Reaching out, he grasped it and charged at the orange-haired man, intent on defeating him at all costs._

_Zangetsu carved a wicked swathe through Yushima's body, starting from his right hip and ending at his left shoulder blade, pieces of flesh and gouts of blood flying into the air as Yushima struggled to continue his attack. His body betraying him in his final moments, Yushima's tears fell unhindered as he arched his back in agony, blood shooting from the gaping wound in his torso._

_Ichigo's friends had seen and heard it all. They'd already known why he did what he did. They knew that he was a protector first and foremost. But to hear Yushima put it in such a way, it made the bonds they had with him, and with one another, all the more precious. Especially one raven-haired Shinigami._

_Rukia knew Ichigo didn't have much time left as a Soul Reaper. She'd known that their time would be short the moment Urahara explained the Final Getsuga Tenshou to them. When he'd gone into detail about Ichigo's condition, it caused her heart to break. The boy that she'd met long ago had become a man, and that man had made the ultimate sacrifice to protect everyone, to protect his friends...to protect her. She felt her face burn in shame. Why did Ichigo always get the raw end of the deal? Why did he always have to suffer for others' mistakes? It wasn't fair!_

_She'd managed to keep the tears at bay as Urahara explained the steps that Ichigo would undergo as he lost his reiatsu. They'd already seen the first step take place right before their eyes, and his agonized screams...she very much believed they would haunt her dreams. She'd managed to sneak out later, find a quiet corner, and proceed to break down, her heart-wrenching sobs sure to draw a crowd had she not been in her spiritual form._

_Now, with Ichigo having gotten a second dose of his past reiatsu, he was given extra time to be with them. But instead, he'd selflessly tossed it aside in favor of protecting them YET AGAIN! She couldn't stand herself. How could she look him in the eye, knowing he'd given everything he could give to keep them all safe? While she stood there and watched it all take place? While she did nothing?_

_When it was all over, Ichigo had come back to them, exhausted but with a small smile on his face. She'd managed to keep her composure, but knew that once she found another quiet spot, she was going to have a repeat of Urahara's revelation._

* * *

Ichigo sighed. He'd thought he'd known what he was getting into when he accepted Rukia's offer. He thought he'd known what he was sacrificing when he used Mugetsu on Aizen. If nothing else, he could safely say this:

He was wrong on both accounts.

_**Done! Ch. 1 is finished, and I think it's turning out really well. Hope you enjoyed it. There are going to be a few minor plot twists next chapter, and you'll be introduced to a new character.**_

_**Until then, Ja Ne!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: Return of Deathberry**_

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Ichigo looked at his surroundings. He was in the park, and the late afternoon sun cast an unearthly golden glow on the playground. Finding a nearby bench, he sat down and sighed. He seemed to be sighing a lot lately, he regarded to himself. It was probably because of the rather abrupt change that had occurred in his life. To have been thrust into a whole new world so suddenly, and just as abruptly ripped from said world, it took one some time to adjust. No one could say that Ichigo was one to go with the flow. He did things his own way, at his own pace.

Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, he looked up to see an unfamiliar figure. He had black hair, dark violet eyes, and a framed face that spoke of untold power on a rather tight leash. A blue trench coat covered his frame, a black shirt and black slacks accompanying black shoes. His eyes on Ichigo, his body in a relaxed pose as he regarded the strawberry.

"Yo." came the man's greeting.

Ichigo blinked. "Uh...hey. Can I help you?"

The stranger nodded. "Yeah. You can get off your ass and come with me, or you can sit there like a pitiful dog and sulk." Without giving Ichigo a chance to respond, the stranger did a 180 and began to walk away.

Ichigo's ire was immediately stoked. Who the hell did this guy think he was, just walking up to a random person and talking like that?

"Oi, teme, get your ass back here so I can beat it properly!"

"If you want to beat my ass, I suggest you follow me."

"Fine, be that way!" Leaping up, Ichigo ran to catch up to the man, who was calmly strolling down the park pathway, headed for the playground.

Nearing his object of attention, Ichigo's comment died on his lips as he rounded a grove of trees and spotted his friends near the playground equipment. His surprise was clearly registered on his face. His friends sported equally surprised looks.

"Kurosaki?" came Ishida's question.

"Kurosaki-kun! There you are! We were beginning to worry!" said Inoue.

"What's going on, Ichigo?" Chad asked.

Ichigo shrugged as he neared them. "I don't really know. Ask him." Pointing to the mystery man, all eyes turned to him.

Sighing, the man shrugged. "I suppose I should introduce myself. The name is Ishigawa Yuuto, and as to why I've asked you all here-"

"But you didn't ask us here!" said Inoue. "Kurosaki-kun did!"

"That's easily explainable." Yuuto began, seeing the confused (and now suspicious) looks he was getting. "I had to use a number that you would all recognize as Ichigo's. So I hacked his cellphone."

Eyes widening, all four of them stepped back from Yuuto. Ishida was the first to ask the most pressing question. "Care to tell us why you would do such a thing?"

Sighing, Yuuto rubbed the back of his head, a mannerism that seemed oddly Ichigo-like. "I told you already. I needed you all to be here, and Ichigo is the linchpin to this whole group. Would you have come to the park if I had used a random number that you didn't know?" Seeing the understanding come into their eyes, he nodded. "Of course not. You would have probably called the police, or some shit like that."

"What makes you think we won't still do that?" Ishida challenged.

"Because I did it for a good reason, and I would not have brought all four of you here for something dubious. If I had any ill intentions, I most likely would have brought only one of you here, no?"

"While that may be true, I still don't like the idea of you using me to get to my friends." Ichigo growled. "Your explanation better be a damn good one."

Shaking his head, Yuuto chuckled. "Oh, my 'explanation' will be a good one, all right." With that said, he drew a sword that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and plunged it into Ichigo's chest.

The shocked silence was so thick you could cut it with a knife...or in this case, a sword. Before any of them could react, the world seemed to explode. Ishida, Chad, and Inoue covered their faces, as dust and blades of grass were kicked up into the air.

When it began to settle, Ishida opened his eyes to see, of all people, Kuchiki Rukia, her Zanpakuto drawn and...were those tears? His brain was so numb at this point, he didn't know if he was hallucinating or not.

Once the air had finally cleared enough, they could see Yuuto on the ground, visibly weakened and panting fiercely. What further shocked the group was that he was now clad in Shinigami robes, his Gigai collapsed against a tree. His robes, however, were not of the traditional black. They appeared to be gray, and were fluctuating between white and black every few seconds. His blade was at his side, but the man was so tired he couldn't even pick it up.

Upon turning to where Ichigo had stood, they were once again thrown for a loop. Ichigo's body was also propped against a tree, and he was now clad in a black shukakusho similar to the one he'd worn before he lost his powers. There were several noticeable differences, though.

First, his hands were crisscrossed by several black straps, and on his left was what appeared to be a leather handguard. These leather straps were crossed over his chest, disappearing into his robes, and wrapped around the back of his neck, not quite connecting and acting more like a shirt collar then protective gear. They were also wrapped around his ankles, ending when they met his leather sandals that had replaced his straw ones.

The only other change was the most noticeable one. His Zanpakuto, Zangetsu, had undergone several changes to its' design. First, the blade; gone was the giant butcher's knife, and in its' place was the...giant meat cleaver design. Regardless, the blade remained relatively similar, with the exception of the tip, ending in a wicked faux point that then curved downward to end in a second, main point. It almost looked as if a chunk had been taken out of the original sword, then smoothed over to make the shape seem natural.

The handle had also undergone a change. Gone was the cloth band that had served as a makeshift grip, and in its' place was a black leather grip, both ends of the handle wrapped with gold circlets. The very end sported a short, broken chain, similar to Tensa Zangetsu's former chain.

Blinking, Ichigo felt his chest, sure that a sword had stabbed his heart just seconds ago. Looking around, he met the stunned expressions of Chad, Uryuu, Orihime, and...

Rukia.

* * *

Ichigo barely had any time to react before the petit Shinigami was wrapped around his torso, her added weight bringing him painfully to the ground.

"AHHH, RUKIA! WHAT THE HELL?!"

He blinked again, feeling a wet patch on his shukakusho. Looking down, he realized she was crying into his chest.

"Rukia..."

Looking up, said girl gave him a huge smile. "Welcome back, baka!" Without hesitation, and almost as if she'd done it a thousand times over, Rukia wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled his head forward, smashing her lips onto his.

The silence was once again rather heavy, as shock roiled over the people present for the umpteenth time. Ishida's cheeks were a healthy hue of pink, and he kept clearing his throat, hoping that it would alert the two to outside intrusion.

Orihime's eyes widened, before closing in silent acceptance. Ever since Hueco Mundo, she'd finally accepted the fact that Ichigo could never love her the way she loved him, so her love had morphed into sisterly love, and she now treated Ichigo like a big brother. Still, that didn't make the pain of seeing Rukia kiss Ichigo any less bearable. However, she figured that with time, it would go away, or at least lessen.

Chad's expression was the most comical out of the three, his eyes having widened considerably. His mouth hung open in complete shock, and his arms hung loosely at his sides. His knees buckled, and he barely managed to keep himself upright.

Ichigo's face was unreadable...mostly because his face was completely red. His shock had soon been replaced by the need to kiss her back. So he did just that. Her small moan of approval was all he needed to know he was on the right track.

"I...think I need...a little help, here."

The sound of heavy breathing broke the two from their heated exchange, and all eyes turned to Yuuto, his clothing now stark white as his sword faded from sight. Rukia immediately got off of Ichigo, and grabbed the man by his robes, hefting him to eye level.

"What the hell did you think you were doing, you asshole?!"

"Bringing...Ichigo's...powers back...that's what."

Scoffing, she dragged the poor man to his Gigai, before letting him climb back inside the faux body. He leaned against the tree, sweat trickling down his forehead as he started to regain his reiatsu.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just kill you here and now..."

"Yuuto" he filled in. "Ishigawa Yuuto."

"Right." Drawing her blade, she put the tip at his throat. "So, care to answer my question?"

"He's back, isn't he? Shouldn't that be good enough of a reason?"

Startled, she looked him in the eye, and saw only honesty in his response. Lowering the blade, she shook her head. "What you did was not only reckless, but borderline suicidal. If you know of Ichigo, you should also know how he got his powers in the first place."

Yuuto nodded. "Power transferal. It was so stupidly simple. In order to reawaken his Shinigami powers, all we had to do was transfer enough power to act as a catalyst to pull them from the depths of which they were thrust into."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Wait, when Old Man Zangetsu told me of the Final Getsuga Tenshou, he said that I would lose all of my Shinigami powers after using it. So why do I still have them?"

Yuuto smirked. "Your Zanpakuto must have not known the entirety of its' own technique. The same happened with Isshin."

Ichigo blinked. "My dad?"

Yuuto nodded again. "Yeah. A while back, he had to use Mugetsu as well. Against whom, I'm not at liberty to say. However, that's how we were able to bring his powers back, as well."

Rukia cleared her throat. "Be that as it may, you still have not properly introduced yourself, Shinigami."

Yuuto blinked. "Ah, right. Well then. Ishigawa Yuuto, Juusanbantai Taichou of the Gotei 13." He paused. "Well, now it's probably FORMER Juusanbantai Taichou, seeing as I've been gone all this time."

A terse silence followed, as everyone tried to process this new information. Rukia was the first to ask. "You...were a captain?"

Yuuto shrugged. "I didn't think they handed out white haori for having good behavior or being a smooth talker, so yeah, I suppose so."

Rukia's eye twitched. "Oi, just because you say you're a captain does not make you one. How am I supposed to believe what you say?"

Yuuto groaned. "Have the Thirteen Court Guard Squads really gotten this stupid?" Before Rukia could retort, he held out a white haori. Common knowledge as it is, all haori are specifically designed for the bearer, and carry the bearer's signature engraved in their own reiatsu. Even an unseated Shinigami could confirm this, if they had the knowledge, by simply applying a little of their reiatsu to the cloak. The signature would respond, and send back the appropriate information regarding the bearer: Name, Rank, and Position within the Gotei 13.

After doing so, Rukia handed the haori back with shaky hands. "So you are really..."

Yuuto scoffed. "As if someone would go around impersonating a captain. If you can find a quicker way to get yourself killed, I have not found one."

Rukia nodded. "So, then why-"

"Why did I disappear?"

She nodded.

He sighed. "You guys have probably heard of Kano Ashido, correct?" It took them several seconds, but they eventually remembered the Shinigami that had sacrificed himself to let them escape the Menos Forest in Hueco Mundo. "Him and his squad were killed by Hollows, after getting trapped in Hueco Mundo after following several Hollow through a Garganta. My situation was...similar, yet not."

"I was on assignment in the Human World. I'd taken over the duties of my Lieutenant because he had fallen ill. I was on my way back through the Dangai when it suddenly closed. I was trapped in there, and for the next several decades, I was forced to remain in the confines of the Dangai, constantly avoiding the blasted Kototsu, and waiting for the one day when I would be able to leave that accursed place. Then, you came along, Ichigo."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You and your father passed though the Dangai, and your father allowed you to undergo the training that I had completed ages ago: Jinzen."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "So you...you've..."

Yuuto nodded. "I've become one with my sword just as you have with yours."

Ishida interrupted. "I hate to barge in..."

Ichigo snorted. "Which you always seem to do."

Ishida ignored him. "...but how is it possible that you are still here? Wouldn't the Kototsu have erased you in seven days' time?"

Yuuto nodded. "You're correct in your assumption. Most of the time, I was able to avoid it by slipping into different sections of the Dangai. However, if all else failed, I would periodically destroy the blasted thing, and I'd get about a month's peace."

Ishida's eyes widened. "Destroy the Kototsu? How is that possible? No Shinigami weapon should be able to do damage to it."

Yuuto nodded. "Again, correct. However, as Ichigo can attest, upon completion of Jinzen, you will ascend to a whole other plane of existence. Your power level will be far greater than any can feel. Remember when Aizen easily destroyed the Kototsu? It wasn't because he was fused with the Hogyouku. It was because his attack was easily far stronger than the current could withstand. Thus, it buckled under that strength. Since I rarely destroyed the thing, the Department of Research and Development just assumed there were glitches in the programming of their computers, or something like that, since they never came to investigate."

Ishida nodded. "That may be, but here's another thing: How did you know of Aizen? Better yet, how did you know of the Hogyouku?"

Yuuto sighed. "Kids these days. Fine. Knowledge of Aizen is easy: the guy was an arrogant bastard, and even if he didn't reveal it, I could easily tell he was plotting something huge. NO one is THAT nice without some ulterior motive. Even Shunsui, that womanizing little-" catching himself, and disregarding the looks he was getting, Yuuto continued.

"Er, anyway...Before I went missing, I'd learned of Urahara's work on the Hogyouku, and I put two and two together. Course, by the time I had done so, I'd been trapped in the Dangai for some time. All I had left to do was train, think, and avoid the blasted Cleaner."

Ishida nodded again, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

"Anything else?" When no one spoke up, Yuuto nodded. "Good. Oh, and you over there..." he pointed to a random tree. "...have you heard enough?"

Blinking, the group was not prepared to see Arisawa Tatsuki walk out of her impromptu hiding place. She walked right over to Yuuto and-

_WHACK_

His face to the side, having jerked that way violently when she punched him, Yuuto closed his eyes and side. "And what, may I ask, have I done this time, young lady?"

The others were in too much shock to stop her...rather, they were too shocked to even speak, let alone move. Not only could Tatsuki TOUCH a Shinigami, she hauled off and punched one. It's typically not a good idea to punch a death god, even if they don't take it personally.

The second punch was accompanied by a kick, and Yuuto staggered back a bit, blood pouring from his nose as he reached up and reset it with a rather sickening _CRUNCH_.

"You may be a Shinigami like Ichigo, but I will be DAMNED if I see you stab him again, for ANY reason! You just got lucky that your little trick worked. Otherwise, I'd send you right after Ichigo, you sorry bastard!"

Rukia's mouth was agape. No one spoke to a Gotei 13 Taichou like that, even if he was a FORMER Taichou. "Arisawa-san, I don't think you-"

"Shut it, Rukia." THAT got everyone's attention. Tatsuki now focused on the petite Shinigami, fire behind that cold stare. "You got some nerve, just up and kissing him like that."

She blushed, and behind her, a certain strawberry blushed as well. Tatsuki saw this, and growled. "YOU are just lucky that you're friends with everyone here, minus the bastard." A thumb was jerked in Yuuto's direction.

"Oh, Tatsuki-chan~ You wound me so." Yuuto mock-pouted.

Whipping around, she sent another right hook at his face. Ichigo was about to stop her, but saw Yuuto's pointed look at his direction. The fist connected, and blood once more poured freely from his nose.

Cracking his neck, Yuuto snorted out some blood, then turned to Tatsuki. "You done throwing your temper tantrum, little lady?"

Another fist to his face was the reply. Now completely enraged, she did nothing but punch his face over and over, until her arms finally wore themselves out.

Blood now poured freely from multiple areas of Yuuto's face, but his eyes never changed. "I take it you're done now?"

Panting, Tatsuki growled again. "You bastard."

Doing his best to wipe his face clean, he felt his face for any more obvious damages. "Hmm, cracked tooth, fractured jaw, broken cheekbone, broken nose...AGAIN, and several cuts and bruises. Not bad. Not good, either, but still..."

Smirking, Tatsuki looked him over. "Yeah, and what do you know about-"

Her sentence was cut off when she blinked. He was gone! Looking over, they spotted him near a tree, looking bored as he waited for their full attention. Getting it, he turned to the tree, and flicked it, then began walking back to the group.

"What the he-" the sound of wood groaning in protest had Tatsuki's eyes widen, as the tree began to splinter on the point of impact, and finally split altogether, both halves collapsing near their brethren.

"Wha...but...you...I...HOW?" came her incredulous reply, mirrored by the looks of awe on the others.

"Simple. I found the focal point of all the tree's energy. Mainly, the trunk. Most would think the roots, but all they do is draw the energy in. The trunk is where it's stored, so therefore it's the focal point. Next, I found a weakness in the focal point, one that could be easily exploited with the right amount of force. Finally, I applied that force, and let the tree destroy itself as its' own energy lost cohesion and tore itself apart. It's kinda like taking away a keystone from a foundation. The building will collapse under its' own weight without said keystone to help."

Ichigo thought back to Urahara's explanation of Soul Society's dependency on the Spirit King. That he was the focal point, the keystone, all in one. "Makes sense when you put it that way."

The others turned to him. "You understood that, Kurosaki?" came Ishida.

Rubbing the back of his head, Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. Urahara-san mentioned a similar situation, and it wasn't that different of an explanation. They're really similar."

Nodding, Yuuto went over to Tatsuki, who was now quite unsure of herself around this man. While only a few feet taller than her, his strength was undoubted.

Looking at her scared expression, Yuuto shook his head. "No need to be scared, Tatsuki. I'd sooner take my own arm off than hit a woman. I'm not so low. However, not everyone is as...nice...as I am. Make sure to gauge a person's ACTUAL strength first. It's always a good idea to know if the person you're punching can tear you apart with a thought or not."

She nodded, and he smiled. "Good. I wouldn't want anything to happen to my little firecracker, now would I?" Getting a blush as a response, he laughed. "Alright. Now, Ichigo." Getting the orange-haired man's attention, he continued. "You are going to have to come with me. Rather, you and I are going to have to go with Rukia back to Seireitei. We need to, basically, report in and show that: A. We've come back, and B. We're not as dead as everyone thought we are. Well, the second part is mostly for me, but you get my drift."

"Fine. Guys, make sure to-"

"Tch, we've been taking care of the town for the last 17 months without your help, Kurosaki. I'm sure that we can handle another hour or so."

"Right. Well, I guess we're off, then."

"See you later Kurosaki-kun, Rukia-chan, Yuuto-san!"

"See you later, Ichigo."

With a nod, all three turned around, and-

"Rukia, open the Senkaimon."

"Wait, why me?! Why can't you do it, Yuuto?"

"Well, I can. But if I do it, then they'll immediately get suspicious. Using code that hasn't been used in centuries is a surefire way to get the 12th Division up in arms."

"Oh, right." Opening the Senkaimon, Rukia leapt in, followed by Ichigo. Before following, Yuuto looked over his shoulder at Tatsuki. "Try not to get into any more trouble, 'kay Firecracker?"

She blushed again, and he laughed louder as he leapt into the portal.

_**Second chapter done, and I'm hoping that people are liking it. Comments, rates, and reviews are most welcome, and so are flames. (I can take the heat, not the ignorance.)**_

_**Ja ne,**_

_**Sgt. Assassin.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: A Warm Seireitei Welcome**_

In Soul Society, things were FINALLY getting back to normal. With the 17 month reprieve after the Winter War, the Shinigami had focused primarily on healing injuries, recovering strength, and recruiting new members to replenish their rather thinned ranks. With astounding luck on their side, not a single Taichou or Fukataicho had been lost, though several were critically wounded.

With time, however, most wounds had faded, even if they still left scars. Soutaichou Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni still sported a wound that even Orihime could not repair: He had sacrificed his left arm to inflict damage to Aizen. _**Hado #96: Itto Kaso**_ is a Forbidden Kido for a reason: it does not use the individual's reiatsu as a catalyst to activate it...it uses the designated body part of the user as a sacrifice to inflict massive damage on an opponent.

Overall, the Gotei Juusantai were very lucky. Many more individuals could have died, had Aizen specifically wanted them dead. Instead, he had figured that once merging with the Hogyouku, he would be invincible, regardless of anyone's attempts to say otherwise.

Soi-Fon's left arm had been restored thanks to Orihime, and while the same couldn't be said for the Soutaichou, the rest of the injured were easily taken care of by the members of the 4th Division.

Now, as Yuuto, Ichigo, and Rukia left the Senkaimon, they looked around and studied the massive amount of Shinigami running to and fro in the main courtyard that they'd appeared in.

"Hmm, I wonder what this is all about? I didn't think our presence would be noticed THAT quickly." mused Yuuto.

Ichigo shrugged. "Who knows what Gramps is up to? Heck, half the time I don't even know, myself."

Rukia snorted. "That's cause most of the time you don't pay attention."

"Oi, I take offense to that!"

"You should. Maybe you'll learn something."

"Why you little-"

"Enough with the lover's quarrel, you two." Both aforementioned individuals blushed deeply. "Regardless, there's only one way to get info fast." Reaching out with one hand, Yuuto grabbed the nearest dashing Shinigami, who blinked as he was suddenly hoisted out of his mid-leap.

"Yo. What's going on?" he asked.

The Shinigami blinked, seeing the three others looking at him pointedly. "Didn't you hear the announcement?" At their confused look, he sighed. "Blasted 11th Division...doesn't care about jack except fighting. As for you, Kuchiki-dono, I thought you would know better."

Her angry glare brought him back to the subject at hand. "W-well, I suppose I should tell you. Soutaicho-dono is planning on introducing a new Captain to the ranks."

Three pairs of eyes widened. "Really? I hadn't heard a thing about that." said Rukia.

Ichigo took the time to eye Rukia. She wore a Lieutenant's Badge, the 13th to be precise. Her robes were unchanged, while her hair was done up in what looked to be a cute attempt at looking older. She wore fingerless tekkou, strikingly similar to her brothers except for the fact that they came up to just above her elbows. He also noticed that her...er...figure...had filled out rather...nicely, but he would file that away for later.

Shaking his head, Yuuto let the non-seated Shinigami go, and he scampered away as if burned. "Fine, I guess we're going to have to go to Yama-jii's Division. Get all of this sorted out. Ichigo, you're with me. Kuchiki, you better report back to your captain. He'll probably be a bit worried if you don't report back soon."

Rukia seemed torn for a moment. Of course, she wanted to find out who this new captain was going to be, but at the same time, she didn't want to upset Ukitake-taichou. With a sigh and a nod, she left to head back to the 13th's barracks, Shunpo carrying her away with the wind.

Turning, Yuuto clasped a hand onto Ichigo. The youth was about to ask why, when he suddenly noticed their abrupt change in scenery.

"_He...he's fast...REALLY fast! I blinked, and we covered that much distance?! Just..how strong IS he?"_ Ichigo thought.

Looking up from his paperwork, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni did not expect to see Kurosaki Ichigo NOR the M.I.A Ishigawa Yuuto standing before him. Their presence had not been noticeable until the second they were in his office, which that alone intrigued him. However, he figured he'd give them a chance to explain themselves.

"Welcome back, Kurosaki Ichigo. I take it your Shinigami powers have returned, and MUCH sooner than anticipated."

"_Sooner than anticipated? He knew my powers would eventually come back?"_ pondered Ichigo.

"As for you, Ishigawa Yuuto, I take it you have a reasonable explanation for your being missing these past several centuries?"

"Hai. It's a case that was rather similar to Asano-san's, only instead of a faulty Garganta, mine was a faulty Senkaimon."

"Hmm, so you've been trapped in the Dangai for quite some time, I take it?"

"Indeed. It took very nearly all of my skill and courage to survive there for so long. While it may have been several centuries here, had I not completed my Jinzen training, I would not be talking to you as I am now."

Yamamoto did something he rarely did: he widened his eyes. "Completed Jinzen? You've barely been back in Soul Society for 5 minutes, and you dare to make such a claim?"

Ichigo blinked. "I thought all Shinigami could do it. I've completed Jinzen with Zangetsu, and that was before I beat Aizen."

If Yamamoto's eyes hadn't been wide before, they certainly were now. "Foolish boy! You dare claim something few in the history of Soul Society have ever done? You're merely a human with special powers, nothing more!"

Ichigo's eyes hardened at that. "Gramps, I've always liked you. You seemed more like a kindly elder guiding the youth through hardships you yourself have faced before. But if you cannot see me with unbiased eyes, then I've misjudged you."

Blinking (another thing he rarely did out of surprise), his face softened. "Forgive my outburst. It is hard to imagine two Jinzen masters here in this very room. If that is truly the case, then I've no reason to wonder as to how you defeated Aizen. While my Jinzen training is advanced, even I, the Soutaichou, have not completed Jinzen."

"What?!" Ichigo blanched. "Not even you? Just how hard is this technique?"

"It's not that hard, per say." Yuuto said. "It just takes hundreds of years to master. I had all the time in the world to master it, and like me, so did you. Theoretically, everyone can achieve Jinzen if they can achieve a few simple steps."

"First, they need to be able to communicate with their Zanpakuto. That is obviously essential. Secondly, they need to be in an undisturbed state for quite some time, as it requires full concentration in order to maintain. Finally, all you need is either the time it takes to get your Zanpakuto to TRULY be one with you, or do it your way, Ichigo."

"What was my way?" he asked.

"Simple. You bonded with your Zanpakuto on a spiritual level. Not many can actually do such a thing. Can they create bonds with their Zanpakuto? Sure, most can. To TRULY bond with your Zanpakuto is to understand them at such a deep level that they can understand you in return. Every shape and curve of your body is mirrored by every sharp corner and greased portion of their metal selves."

"In other words, you literally become One Mind, One Body, One Soul. While doing it with just your partner Zanpakuto is hard by itself, you not only managed to do it with your Zanpakuto, but with your Inner Hollow, as well. THAT is what sets you apart from the rest. A Human with Shinigami Powers that can tap into Hollow powers which makes him a Vizard. You are truly a transcendent being, if only in name."

Having listened intently for the first time in a while, Ichigo thought about it. He had felt everything that Zangetsu had felt, everything his Hollow had felt. While he'd done so before, it was on such a deeper scale that he could only call his previous attempts tapping the surface of his potential. Mere child's play.

Ichigo nodded, letting Yuuto turn to regard Yamamoto. "So, that answers that. Now, if I may, I would like to inquire as to who this new captain is? I'm curious to meet him or her."

Yamamoto could not suppress his grin. "I thought you might." His face barely containing his mirth, he turned to Ichigo. "Kurosaki Ichigo, I would like to present to you the new 5th Division Taichou, Ishigawa Yuuto."

Yuuto nodded, while Ichigo gaped. "Right, Ishigawa Yuuto. So, when can I meet hi-" The words died on his lips as his brain finally registered what he'd heard. Yamamoto's grin was full blown now, another rarity to be seen on the Soutaichou's visage.

The echo was heard around Seireitei.

…

…

…

"**WHAT THE HELL IS THIS BULLSHIT?!**"

* * *

Rukia, having just finished making her report, was about to leave Ukitake's quarters when the loud roar of a rather surprised ex-captain had her jump.

Ukitake chuckled. "I suppose that's Yuuto-sempai?"

Rukia shook her head. "Hai. He must have heard something about the new captain that he didn't like."

Ukitake laughed. "Actually, Rukia, he IS the new captain."

Rukia blinked, then laughed outright. "Oh, THAT is good. I love it. If he reacts this badly to his renewed captain-ship, then I can't wait to hear what he'll have to say about his paperwork."

At this comment, both parties broke down into fits of laughter.

* * *

"And so, without further ado, I, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, Soutaichou of the Gotei Juusantai, herby declare Ishigawa Yuuto the new Gobantai-taichou of the Gotei Juusantai. May you all treat him with the respect and admiration his rank and skill deserves."

Murmurs of speculation and glances of suspicion were cast in the new captain's general direction.

"Alright, that's enough of that. Arigato-na, Soutaichou-dono. If I may have a moment with my...new squad?"

Nodding, Yamamoto took his leave, the other Shinigami parting like the Red Sea to let him through.

Looking to his right, Yuuto's eyes landed on Hinamori Momo, the shy, timid girl looking at him out of the corner of her eye with an unreadable expression. Figuring the girl needed a little time to adjust to his presence, he smiled at her and turned to Ichigo. "Well, it could be worse. I could be stuck in a holding cell for insubordination and deserting. Overall, I think this turned out pretty well."

Ichigo scoffed. "Really? I hear Captains are buried in paperwork. S'why I'll never become one, even if they do offer me the job."

Yuuto laughed. "Naive friend of mine, paperwork is a cinch once you know how to handle it."

Ichigo blinked. "Really? How?"

Yuuto smirked. "I'll never tell~."

Their friendly banter was interrupted by a rather rude cough from 7th Seat Mahane Irobu, who eyed Yuuto with distaste. "You mean to tell me that I am expected to take orders from this hack of a Captain? I don't think so."

9th Seat Juyobu Isahada nodded. "I don't even think you're capable of leading a blind man across a street, let alone a Gotei 13 squad."

Multiple murmurs of agreement spread their way through the ranks, and Ichigo's forehead developed a tick.

"Just who the hell do you guys think you are, talking to your Captain like that?"

Isahada scoffed. "Like we need any lectures from a fake Shinigami like you. The sooner you fall on your own sword, the be-" He was swiftly cut off as he found himself choking for air, Yuuto's hand squeezing rather harshly on his windpipe.

"Got your attention? Good. Now, listen here, all of you. Some of you have no problem with me being your captain. I have no qualm with you, and even welcome you to open up to me if you have any questions or concerns."

Giving another slight squeeze, Yuuto snorted as the man coughed and struggled to get free, his fingers clawing at the man's iron grip on his throat. "However, I've used up all my patience for insubordination, stupidity, and general asinine behavior. If I have to use one of you as an example of what NOT to do, so be it." And with that, he dropped the man on his ass.

"Thank your lucky stars you're not part of the 11th Division. Even back in my day, they played by a different rule book, and me killing your sorry ass would have been perfectly fine. Possibly even encouraged." This caused not only the one on the ground, but several other members to pale considerably.

"Like I said, even if you don't accept me, I'm okay with that. Hell, hate me as much as you want. But I will NOT tolerate any bullshit aside from that. I've used your buddy here as a demonstration. If need be, I WILL kill someone who steps too far out of line. Insulting a fellow Shinigami like that, Daiko or not, will be considered right up there with treason in my book, and is punishable by whatever I deem fit. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?"

The room gave a collective nod, and the overwhelmingly oppressive aura in the room vanished instantly. Yuuto gave everyone a smile. "Good. Because I've seen way too many soldiers get into petty squabbles outside of battle, and when battle actually comes, they take their grudges onto the battlefield with them. I'll warn you all right now. Grudges CAN kill. If you're mad at a friend, disregard that anger in order to save his life. If a comrade has done something to anger you, do not let it cloud your judgment, or you'll get cut down quicker than you can blink."

"Emotional baggage is just that: Baggage. It will drag you down, and if given the chance, help you dig your own grave. Nothing further, men. Dismissed!"

At this, several men helped their downed comrade to his feet, choking and sputtering as they dragged him out of the assembly hall. It didn't go unnoticed that several eyes were quietly giving their new captain looks of approval.

Rubbing his neck, Yuuto sighed. "This is why I disliked captaincy. So many youngsters to teach."

Ichigo clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Seems like you've got things under control."

He sighed. "I hope so. Isn't that right Hinamo-"

Looking to his right, his Lieutenant was nowhere to be found. "Hmm, guess she's just as tired as I am. Must be hard running a division all by yourself."

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. Sounds rough."

Yuuto shrugged. "Well, I gotta tackle that stack of paperwork that's been piled on my new desk. Why don't you go see if Rukia's busy. After all," he elbowed the orange-haired man "you two have got quite a bit of catching up to do, ne?"

Ichigo punched him in the shoulder. "Bastard." Still, he blushed a deep red, which only caused Yuuto to walk out of the assembly hall, his body racked with laughter.

"Ahh, I never get tired of teasing that boy."

* * *

In Urahara's 'Humble Candy Store' (aka, Urahara Shoten), a tan-skinned female sneezed rather violently. Blinking, she shrugged as she went back to her book. "_Some hot guy is thinking about me. Or about something related to me, at least."_

* * *

Leaping across the rooftops of Seireitei, Rukia was in a very good mood. Oh yes, a very good mood. Ichigo had finally gotten his powers back, and he could see her! That alone could have made her day. What REALLY got her hot under the collar was Ichigo himself. Gone was that boyish charm that made her notice him in the first place, and in its' place was the mature, adult visage of a man. And what a man he was!

"_He just fills out his shukakusho SOOO nicely! 17 months have been hell without him, but having him come back looking like that...it might have been worth it."_

When Ichigo finally lost his powers completely, it crushed her. More so than Kaien's death. Kaien was gone. There was no nonsense about him returning. With Ichigo, it was much different. She was still the primary Shinigami assigned to patrol Karakura, so she would have to fight the urge to see him on a daily basis, even though he couldn't see her back. As the months passed, she became more moody and snappish, reverting back to her old Kuchiki ways as a means to cope with Ichigo's absence.

Renji wasn't much better than her. Despite their...similarities in regards to temper, the pineapple and strawberry had gotten along fairly well, and had even developed a friendship. An awkward one involving massive amounts of scolding, mocking, hitting, kicking, biting, and general roughhousing, but a friendship nonetheless.

Ichigo's absence also made Renji change. His sarcastic attitude was back in full force, and his training was lacking its' usual luster, no longer having someone with whom he could compete with. Sure, he could train with his fellow lieutenants, but they each had a personality that got on his nerves after a while.

Once the announcement that the Shinigami Daiko had regained his powers got around, people were in an uproar. Ichigo was the hero of the Winter War, the man who defeated the invincible Sosuke Aizen. Rukia chuckled as she thought of his flustered face were he to be cornered by his 'adoring public'.

"_Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."_ Grinning like a wolf about to pounce a rabbit, Rukia sprang from her current rooftop and intercepted Ichigo mid-leap, as he was ironically headed to her barracks. His cry of surprise was followed by a groan of pain as he landed on his back, the roof tiles not softening his impact any.

"Oi, Rukia, what the he-mmlphsds?" He was cut off as she latched onto his lips with her own, her tongue snaking into his startled mouth and teasing him mercilessly.

"_He looks SOOOO cute when he blushes like that!" _she squealed mentally, only to blink when he pulled his lips away. Her pout was clearly visible, but Ichigo needed answers.

"Rukia, what's gotten into you? You were never this forward with me before. What's going on?"

Shaking her head, she tried to recapture his lips, but he was having none of it. "Rukia, tell me what's going on, or I'll ignore you for the rest of the week."

Her eyes widened, and she sat back on her haunches. "Fine, but afterwards, you better prepare yourself, buster." Ichigo blinked in surprise at this, but decided that he was getting the answers he wanted.

"When...when I...lost you...I couldn't handle it. I told myself I could, but I just couldn't. I hadn't even realized it, Ichigo, but you'd become my whole world." He blushed at this, and so did she. However, she didn't stop. "I may be the sun that drives away the rainclouds in your eyes, but you are the moon that casts light into my darkest nights. I...I..."

She looked away and mumbled, "I need you, Ichigo."

While her statement was low in volume, he'd heard it regardless. His eyes widened considerably, and he struggled to speak, his mouth opening and closing, but no sound came. She chuckled at this.

"How rude. A girl confesses her love for you, and all you can do is sit there like a retarded fish out of water."

"Oi, I was about to say I loved you, and then you had to go and-"

He stopped, seeing tears pool in her eyes. "Oi, Rukia. You okay? I didn't mean to hurt-"

He was once more tackled by the petite woman, and couldn't stop her from kissing him even if he wanted to. Her moan of satisfaction brought his lower body to attention, which was quickly replaced by the realization that she not only loved him back, but had completely accepted him.

Her moan only grew louder as he kissed her back, his hands wrapping around her back to pull her closer. She broke it only to lean against him heavily, her head in the crook of his neck.

"You may be a baka, but you're MY baka, and I love you."

Ichigo chuckled, and held her close. "You may be a midget, but you're MY midget, and I love you, too."

For once, Ichigo wasn't reprimanded on his comment of her size, and simply smiled as she held him. It would have been perfect except for the fact that they were still on a rooftop.

_**Chapter 3 is done, and I'm starting to get back into the swing of things. Long hiatuses will do that to you. Regardless, I hope you are enjoying the story at least as much as I am writing it. Don't forget to comment, rate, and review if it suits your fancy.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4: Trouble in Paradise**_

Yuuto sighed as he walked down the hallways of the 5th Division barracks, his body tired from several days of intense training sessions and mountains of paperwork. It only got worse when his Lieutenant seemed to ignore or outright avoid him, almost as if he had a cold that she could catch.

"_Baka. Give her time! She probably hasn't yet gotten over her Captain's betrayal. I heard that he was like a father to her, so she probably took his betrayal the worst."_ he thought to himself.

Reaching his quarters, he slid the door open and walked in, taking his sword from his obi and setting it next to the desk. Sighing, he set about getting ready for bed (he didn't care if it was 4 in the afternoon. He was tired, damn it!), but stopped as he was about to remove his clothes. Looking around, he could have sworn he heard a noise. When it didn't happen again, he chalked it up to being stuck in the Dangai for too long, and disrobed. He didn't notice the small droplets of blood that landed on the floor nearby as he re-clothed himself in his night attire.

As he reached his futon, he blinked, then shook his head, sidestepping a strike aimed for the back of his neck, intent on severing the spinal cord and dropping him like a rag doll. Reaching out, he caught the blade in his hand, and his eyes widened. This blade had three prongs on it, so it could only belong to-

"**Hajike, Tobiume! (Snap, Flying Plum Tree)**"

His quarters all but exploded into flame. Shaking his hand, Yuuto blew on it to cool it off. Reiatsu was a wonderful thing, and being able to coat your hand in it to lessen damage was just one of the many benefits.

But he digressed. Looking over his (now ruined) quarters, he spotted several stacks of paperwork going up in flame. Were this under better circumstances, he'd be having a mental orgasm on the spot from seeing such a beautiful sight. However, someone had just tried to light him on fire, so he wasn't quite in the mood.

"To what do I owe this late night meeting, Hinamori-san?"

"You know damn well what, you imposter!" she shouted, hurling another fireball at him. This time, seeing as one of the walls had been blown out, he Shunpo'd out of the burning room, and landed in the main courtyard.

"Mataku...not even a week in, and my quarters are in shambles. God hates me."

Looking to his left, Yuuto watched Momo appear next to him, sword already coming down in an overhead arc. Reaching out, he caught her blade with little trouble, and held it firmly.

"Oi, seriously! What did I do to upset you so, Hinamori-chan?" The use of -chan on her name only infuriated her more, and another fireball made its' way to his face. He didn't bother to dodge, and caught it square in the cheek, the ball of flame singing his skin rather red.

"You're not my captain! My captain is...my captain is..." tears began to form in her eyes and she clenched her sword tighter. "MY CAPTAIN IS AIZEN-TAICHOU, NOT SOME WANNABE BASTARD LIKE YOU!"

Seeing her fireball did little damage, she thrust her hand into his face. "_**Hado no Sanjuusan: Sokatsui!**_" The blue flame further blistered his skin, and he groaned in pain as it put bruises on his already tender flesh.

Still, his hand did not relinquish its' hold on her blade, and she growled in anger.

"Let go of Tobiume, you hack!" Going from her hand to her finger, she pointed it at his forehead. "_**Hado no Yon: Byaku-**_"

With a backhand stroke, her hand was deflected from his face, the building energy of the Hado dissipating as Yuuto gave her a glare. "I can take a fireball to the face. I can take a Sokatsui to the face. But I am NOT about to have a Byakurai drill a hole in my skull."

With that, he gripped Tobiume hard enough to draw blood, and jerked it forward, causing Momo to lose her balance and stumble forward. Grabbing her wrist, he separated her from her sword and flung the blade behind him. The steel blade embed itself in the tiled ground behind them, and shifted back to its' sealed state.

"Let go of me, you lying, cheating, fake son of a bitch!" screamed Momo, her other hand clawing at his arm as she struggled to break his grip.

Shrugging, he let her go, and she dashed for her sword. Upon reaching it, she was startled to find it gone just as she reached for it. Looking around, she spotted Yuuto leaning against the wall, blood trickling down his head as he shouldered her sword.

"Give me back Tobiume, you prick!" she cried. "_**Chiniku no kamen, bansho, habataki, hito no na o kansu mono yo! Soka no kabe ni soren o kizamu, taika no fuchi o enten ni te matsu!**_** (**_**Ye lord! Mask of flesh and blood, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens!)**_Jutting her hands out rather similarly to a Kamehameha, she called out the name of the attack.

"**Hado no Nananjuusan: Soren Sokatsui! (Hado #73: Twin Blue Fires, Crash Down)**" While rather similar to Sokatsui, Soren Sokatsui is twice as destructive, as it utilizes both hands in the attack. The two blue fireballs screamed their way towards Yuuto, who momentarily contemplated using Tobiume to deflect them.

He took pity on the sword, as he could feel the pulses of sadness coming from the blade. Its' master was grieving, her heart having been torn asunder by her former captain. Slipping the blade into his obi, he pointed a finger at the oncoming blasts.

"_**Bakudo no Sanjuukyuu: Enkosen. (Bakudo # 39: Round Lock Fan)**_" The spinning yellow shield expanded to provide him with enough protection to cover his body's width. The spells collided, and blue energy was deflected to either side of the captain, leaving trench marks that carved deep gashes around where he stood.

"This has gone on long enough. _**Bakudou no Yon: Hainawa. (Bakudo #4: Crawling Rope)**_" Shooting the binding spell at Momo, Yuuto was momentarily surprised when she vanished from sight.

"Shunpo, eh? At least she's getting better, I suppose." Feeling the tug on his obi, he turned around to see Momo take back her Zanpakuto, it's Shikai once more released.

By now, several Shinigami had begun to gather, assuming that it was some sort of training exercise taking place between the Lieutenant and her Captain. Once several captains started appearing, though, it became a different matter altogether.

Hitsugaya was stunned. Momo Hinamori, one of the most respectable lieutenants and his childhood friend, was attempting to _murder_ her captain in cold blood? His mind could not wrap itself around that. Hearing his name called, he turned to see Ichigo and Rukia appear, the last traces of Shunpo letting him know how they arrived so quickly.

"Toushiro, what's going on? Is there some sort of practice session taking place?" asked Ichigo.

"No, it's something different, Kurosaki." Ichigo's eyebrows rose. Toushiro had not bothered to correct him on his lack of formality. THAT set off warning bells in his head.

"Hitsugaya-taichou, what's going on?" asked Rukia.

Yuuto overheard her question, and turned to regard them. "Nothing's going on, just a little sparring practice."

Momo seemed to hesitate, then her shoulders shook visibly. "You...consider this...SPARRING PRACTICE?!" She let out an enraged yell, and held both her hands out, blue energy crackling in her palms.

Jushiro immediately recognized her technique, and moved to stop her. A hand landed on his shoulder, and he turned to regard Shunsui. "This is getting too dangerous. We need to stop this before someone gets hurt."

Kyoraku chuckled. "Yare, yare. You don't think Yuuto-san can handle a little attack like that? You're underestimating your sempai, my friend."

Ukitake looked back to where the energy was taking form, worry in his eyes. "But..."

Shunsui squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. If he dies, we'll just have to find a new captain, is all."

Jushiro whipped his head around. "Kyoraku!"

He laughed. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

Toushiro, meanwhile, was not even close to kidding. "Momo...HINAMORI! STOP THIS! YOU'RE GOING TO GET KILLED!" he shouted, his fear for his friend ever clear in his voice.

She smiled sadly at him, the ball of blue energy now the size of her palm. "Gomen, Shiro-chan, but Ishigawa-san has to die. No one can replace Aizen-taichou, and he needs to pay for even attempting to."

Blinking back tears, she focused her attention on the man before her. "Gomen, Ishigawa-san. It's nothing personal, but you can't replace Aizen-taichou. I won't allow it. _**Hado no Hachijuuhachi: **__**Hiryugekizokushintenraiho! (Hado #88: Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-shaking Thunder Cannon)**_"

The mid-sized ball of blue energy exploded outward, a giant wave of electrical energy flying towards Yuuto with the speed of a freight train. Ichigo watched, but widened his eyes as he saw Yuuto make no attempt to stop it. He just stood there, eyes hardening slightly before the blast engulfed him completely, tearing out a section of the wall behind him.

"Yuuto-san!" he cried. Several Shinigami turned their heads, certain they'd just witnessed a murder. Jushiro was one of them, already thinking of the ramifications that Hinamori would have to face, when he felt Kyoraku's hand on his shoulder squeeze lightly.

"Look." he said.

Turning his head, he gaped slightly as he saw Yuuto standing there, completely unscathed. Most thought he'd used the old nemesis of Hado #88, _**Bakudo no Hachijuuichi: Danku (Bakudo #88: Splitting Void)**_, but they were corrected a second later when his sword arm was revealed through the cloud of dust and debris.

(_**It would take me far too long to describe his armor. If you wish to know what his armor looks like, follow this link: **_ fs19/300W/i/2007/310/c/8/Haar_Pwnsome_8D_by_ _** )**_

Craning his neck, Yuuto looked at his armor, which now sported a smoking patch on the arm guard. "Tch, I JUST cleaned this last month, too. What the hell, man?"

Looking back up at Momo, Yuuto sighed, and deactivated his Shikai, the armor dissipating as he re-sealed his blade. Walking forward, he inwardly cringed as she took a few hesitant steps back, obvious fear in her eyes.

"_He's going to kill me! I really went and did it, now. I'm really going to die! Oh, Kami-sama, please have mercy on me! I really don't want to di-" _She blinked when a hand was put on her head. Looking up, she met the smiling face of her captain.

"Momo-chan, next time you have a problem, make sure to try and talk to me about it, okay? I know that I can never replace your captain, and I also know that you liked him quite a lot, but I will do my best to listen to anything you have to say, okay?" He ruffled her hair a little, getting her to squirm. "That's my job as a captain, after all!"

Turning to the crowd, which now consisted of a lot of curious and somewhat baffled Shinigami, he gave them a toothy grin. "Alright! Show's over! Get back to your jobs, people!"

Some grumbled, not looking forward to returning to work. Others were all excited, having gotten to see the new captain in action. As the majority of the Shinigami went back to their individual duties, Hitsugaya leapt down into the courtyard, and walked over to Hinamori's side.

"Hinamori, are you okay?"

She nodded, her eyes downcast. "Gomen, Shiro-chan. I...I wasn't thinking clearly. It's just, with everything that had happened...and the war...and Aizen-taichou...and you..."

Toshirou winced, remembering the time he'd been tricked into impaling Momo on his sword. That would forever be a low point in his life, not only for that, but for the complete and utter way he lost control, attacking Aizen like a greenhorn fresh out of the Academy.

Snapping back to the present, he put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "It's all right, Momo. I'm sure the capt-er, Yuuto-san...I'm sure he won't press charges, am I correct?"

Yuuto nodded. "I don't see the need for any disciplinary action. Emotions outrule logic quite often, from my experience. I won't hold it against her, but if it happens again, there will have to be some punishment."

He grinned. "I can't have her blowing up my quarters too often, now can I?"

Ichigo landed next to Yuuto, followed by Rukia. After hearing the captain's comment, followed by Hinamori's horrified gasp as she remembered, followed by her profuse apologies, he chuckled. "You poor man. You just can't catch a break, can you?"

Yuuto shook his head. "Afraid Fate has other plans in store, my friend. As they say, "There ain't no rest for the wicked", and I sure as hell ain't a saint."

Uproarious laughter had them all turn to see Ukitake Jushiro and Shusui Kyoraku walking up, the latter holding his sides in mirth. "How true, how true. I like you a lot, Yuuto-san. Quick-witted, and powerful to boot. You and I need to go drinking, preferably now."

Jushiro chuckled himself. "Now, now, Kyoraku. No need to add to Yuuto-sempai's problems. Getting him drunk will only further complicate matters."

Scoffing, Kyoraku dismissed the notion immediately. "Nonsense! Good sake always helps ease the stress of a long day's work. I should know. Now, come on. We've got some bar-hopping to do. Ukitake, you're coming, too. Kurosaki, where do you think you're going?"

While Kyoraku had been attempting to convince Yuuto to go drinking, Ichigo had turned tail and begun to slink away, having already been at the 8th Division Captain's mercy once. He had no desire to be part of another drinking contest, and he knew that most of the Shinigami could drink him under the table easily. He may be a strong fighter, but alcohol was not his strong suit.

Turning, he regarded the eyes of the straw-hat man. "Er, sorry, Kyoraku. I...got some things I need to take care of back in the Human World, and I-"

"Oh, bullhocky! You're going bar-hopping, and that's that!" In the blink of an eye, Ichigo found himself being drug towards the rougher parts of Rukongai, Rukia's face betraying her barely concealed laughter and Momo's look of worry following the Substitute Shinigami. Kyoraku's drinking binges were legendary, and pity the poor soul that got dragged to one of them.

Her captain sighed, and Momo turned to him. "Well, if I DON'T go, I'll just end up being dragged like poor Ichigo here. So I might as well walk there. Momo, if you could get some of the squad members to fix up my quarters, I'd really appreciate it. Okay?" He flashed her a warm smile, and Momo felt herself blushing.

"H-hai!"

Nodding, Yuuto turned to Shunsui. "Well, that takes care of that. Do your worst, Kyoraku."

A chilling laughter came from said man, and he grinned. "You...I REALLY like you, my friend. You and I are going to get along PERFECTLY! Well, let's go!" And with that, he resumed his trek towards the outskirts of Seireitei, dragging a flailing Ichigo behind him.

"Oi, wait! Stop! I don't want to do this! You can't make me do this! Rukia! Yuuto! Someone! Anyone! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP HIM! **I CAN'T WAKE UP NEXT TO A NAKED IKKAKU AGAIN! HAVE MERCY! NOOOOOOOO!"**

Sadly, no one came to his aid, and with a flash of Shunpo, the four individuals were gone, leaving Toshirou, Rukia, and Momo to gaze at the spot where they once were, and wonder just how bad the following morning was going to be.

Toshirou seemed to have an idea, because as he turned to leave, he gave the girls a piece of advice:

"You might want to get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a LONG day."

* * *

The next morning, things were...well, bad. First off, the whole gang had been invited to give Yuuto a late celebratory drinking party for becoming a new captain. Renji, Kira, Matsumoto, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Iba, and Hisagi also joined in on the action, having apparently planned this out for some time, as they'd reserved an entire section of the bar just for their 'party'.

Upon Kyoraku, Ukitake, Yuuto, and Ichigo's arrival, the party got into full swing. A fun time was had by all, and everyone went home somewhat sober.

…

…

Okay, that's a bald-faced lie.

By midnight, the bar was all but ruined. Ikkaku had gotten into a rather nasty brawl with a couple of goons (by couple, we mean 20) that had made fun of his 'shiny head'. After the bodies-er, individuals, were removed from the premises, the night continued, unabated.

…

…

Okay, that's another lie.

Several more fights broke out when some Shinigami had tried to hit on Matsumoto, and in her drunken state, she had 'playfully declined' (she beat them to within an inch of their lives with glass pitchers, several ashtrays, and a bar stool.)

The men (namely Renji, Ikkaku, Kira, Iba, and Hisagi) felt it was 'their duty to protect the beautiful, busty women of the world', and each had pounced on the unsuspecting bystanders with the fury of a wild beast. This led to even more destruction, and only Kyoraku's uproarious laughter could be heard above the screams, shouts, and the breaking of glasses, tables, and chairs.

After "Bar Brawl 2" came to a conclusion, all patrons were ejected from the trashed establishment, with a sworn promise to seek compensation for the damages.

However, since this was a "bar-hopping excursion" (much to Ichigo's dismay) the night continued unabated, until the sun peeked its' head over the horizon, checking the earth below to see if the coast was clear.

Sadly, Ichigo did end up waking next to a naked Ikkaku, but at least Yumichika was covering the unmentionables, so it wasn't as bad as last time. (Bleaching his mind was going to be on his To-Do List, though.)

The pounding headache was not a welcome friend in his time of need, nor was the uncomfortable feeling of having slept on wood flooring half the night. Struggling to regain his bearings, Ichigo looked around.

He kinda wished he hadn't.

Bodies were sprawled everywhere, and it took him a few minutes to realize he was not actually in the middle of a massive homicide scene (after all, there was only a pint or so of blood on the floor, and that was probably from Ikkaku, so nothing to worry about there.)

He noticed a particular group off in the corner, and recognized some faces: Renji, Kira, and Hisagi were all curled up/sprawled in the corner, one seemingly piled on top of the other, as if they'd been unceremoniously hurled into the corner...which could have quite possibly been what happened.

He spotted Iba on a table, mumbling something about doggy treats, and Ukitake was laying on a couch. He had no idea how they got a couch into the bar, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it belonged to someone who was going to realize that it was gone. And then they were going to flip their lid something fierce.

* * *

Sighing, Toshirou Hitsugaya unlocked the door to his office. He just KNEW that Matsumoto was going to be late today. He also figured that she wouldn't be of much help, if any, with paperwork. He anticipated that he was going to have to do her work on top of his, and he was not looking forward to it.

However, what he hadn't anticipated was what greeted him upon opening his office. The key in his hand clattered to the floor, and he could only stand there in shock as his eyes took in the pure, unadulterated, and wanton destruction that greeted him. His desk was overturned, the drawers pulled open and paperwork scattered like they'd been shot out of a wood chipper.

His chair was sticking out of his window, and he had no idea how the glass had held for this long. As if feeling his growing temper, and deciding to toss propane onto the blazing fire that was Hitsugaya's emotional state, the window chose that very moment to shatter and drop the chair unceremoniously to the ground with a loud _THUD_.

Looking around, he saw that his closets had been flung open, his bookshelves had been ransacked, and everything else looked as if a tornado had decided to play tag with another one inside his office.

However, the most damning evidence was not what was strewn throughout the room, which were various empty bottles of sake that implied a rather raucous party had taken place, but rather, what was missing...

His couch.

…

…

…

*Insert tea kettle bubbling, foaming, then exploding*

"**...MATSUMOTOOOOOO!"**

* * *

Back with Ichigo, he looked over to where Shunsui lay, curled up on a futon that he'd brought beforehand and snoring away blissfully. The sudden urge to strangle him in his sleep came over Ichigo, but just as quickly disappeared. It wasn't worth it, anyway.

Turning to get up, he blinked when his hand encountered something soft. He rubbed it for a bit, still not sure what it was. Finally, he gave it a squeeze, and someone moaned. THAT set off red flags in his head, and he turned to see just what he was grabbing. He nearly choked on his saliva.

Yuuto was sprawled on the floor next to him, completely naked except for a fundoshi that covered his privates. As if that wasn't traumatizing enough for the poor boy, a nearly nude Matsumoto was draped over him, completely exposed save for the shukakushou that covered them both, yet left little to the imagination.

Blood began to flow freely from Ichigo's nose, and just when he thought he had himself under control, he looked to where his hand was.

He'd been groping her butt.

That did it. All the blood rushed to his face, and Ichigo passed out, his head landing on the floor with a resounding _THWACK_.

Meanwhile, outside the bar, a white-haired demon was tearing up sections of Rukongai, looking for a certain strawberry-blonde lieutenant and his precious couch.

_**Chapter 4, done! Whee, I'm on a roll. Hopefully, this momentum will carry into my other story, as well. Regardless, continue to read, comment, rate, review, etc. Whatever peaks your interest.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5: Problems with Alcohol**_

"Never...again...I swear it on my afterlife." groaned Ichigo. He was laying on a couch in the 13th Division Barracks, an ice pack covering his throbbing forehead.

Rukia chuckled as she went about her duties, tidying up the office and such. "You should know about Kyoraku and his drinking binges. Most everyone does."

Turning his head gingerly, he gave her a weary glare. "YOU should know that I didn't have a choice in the matter. I was, quite literally, DRAGGED there. I also recall pleading with you to stop him!"

At this, she couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, but the way you flailed as you were being dragged was so precious. I just couldn't let that moment pass me by."

Scoffing, Ichigo sat up, the ice pack falling in his lap. "Well, if I'm nothing more than amusement for you, I think I'll go keep Yuuto company. He's probably in worse shape than me, anyway." With that, he began to rise off the couch, only to take a pillow to the face.

"Mmmph! Oi, what the heck?" Feeling a tug on his attire, he was forced to sit back on the couch, only this time Rukia joined him.

"Don't go, Ichigo. I'm just teasing you." she smiled softly, snuggling up next to him. "I just haven't been able to talk to you in so long. I missed those arguments we had."

His expression softening, he wrapped his arms around her small frame and hugged her close. "Yeah, me too."

For a while, they just sat there, basking in the feel of the other's presence. Blinking, Rukia realized she'd dozed off, and sat up, rousing Ichigo from his impromptu nap as well.

"Wha? What's up?" he asked drowsily.

"I need to get back to work. Unlike you, I actually have duties to take care of." she smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. You and your work. I'll get out of your hair, then." As he rose to leave, he was surprised when she gave him a quick peck on the lips, then went over to her desk to begin her paperwork.

"See you later, hot stuff."

Blushing, Ichigo stuttered back a reply, and hastily left her office, Rukia's peals of laughter following his exit.

* * *

"Oh God...never again..." Yuuto moaned, before bowing once more to the porcelain throne, the sounds of retching reaching Ichigo's ears as he made his way into the captain's office.

"Yo, Yuuto. You okay?"

Reaching the bathroom, Ichigo knocked softly. He knew that Yuuto had drunk more than he had, but he didn't know just how much, and what the drinks were made of.

As the door opened, he had to restrain himself from screaming in horror. Yuuto...well, he looked dead. About as dead as a death god can look, anyway. His skin was a sickly palor, more white than anything. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked absolutely haggard, the way he was gripping the door like he might collapse doing nothing to dissuade that thought.

"Do I LOOK okay to you, you cheeky bastard?" he growled. Ichigo took a step or two back, waving his hands in front of him.

"NO-er, I mean yes-er, what I meant to say was...you look fine?"

Palming his face, Yuuto let out a groan. "Now I see why you were so intent on fleeing the other day. Kyoraku knows his liquor. I didn't know he'd slipped me something special until it was down my throat. I think he called it, "Moonshine"? I'm not sure, but whatever it was...oh, shit!"

Slamming the door, Ichigo was once more prevalent to the beautiful sounds of a man retching into a toilet. Shaking his head, he turned and nearly ran into Momo.

"Oh! Hello, Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo rubbed his head. "Hello, Hinamori. I guess Yuuto isn't up for anything today, huh?"

The sound of said man vomiting once more only confirmed his suspicions. She shook her head. "No, and I think he's going to be like this for the rest of the day. If I get my hands on Kyoraku-taichou..."

Ichigo shook his head. "That man won't change for anything. Good luck trying to convince him to abandon his 'newest drinking buddy'. That'll be like getting Renji to use kido without it blowing up in his face. Utterly impossible."

Momo giggled. "Poor guy. A master in Zenjutsu, but when it comes to kido, an Academy student could do better."

Ichigo laughed. "I'll have to use that on him sometime."

* * *

In the 10th Division Barracks, Abarai Renji sneezed rather suddenly. The others looked up from their tasks, and Toshirou gave him an eye.

"Abarai, don't be pretending to get sick on me. You still got some cleaning to do."

"...Hai, taichou."

He, along with Iba, Kira, Hisagi, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Matsumoto were busy repairing and cleaning Hitsugaya's destroyed office, the latter having returned the couch to its' rightful place.

Upon all parties managing to rouse from their drunken slumber, they'd taken stock of the situation, and determined that they were royally fucked, save for a few individuals (Yuuto, Ukitake, and Kyoraku were Captains, so while they were responsible for the mess that took place (especially Kyoraku), they were not under Hitsugaya's authority. Ichigo, while capable of being ordered around, had been an unwilling participant, and had subsequently been released of punishment.)

Once Hitsugaya had torn-er, made his way to the group, he'd been rather dumbfounded upon finding all participants quite unconscious, some in rather...revealing attire. However, this was all forgotten when his eyes layed sight on his couch. He thanked Kami that it was still in one piece, and he was not opposed to having Ukitake sleeping on it. Truthfully, he'd expected it either destroyed, mangled beyond repair, or simply stained with Matsumoto sprawled atop it.

This did little to ease his ire, though, and a resounding clamor was caused when he decided to wake the sleeping masses.

"**OI, GET THE FUCK UP! ALL OF YOU!"**

This had some...interesting reactions all around.

Ikkaku was apparently the first to rise, for he took one look at where Yumichika's face happened to lay, and let out the single, most girlish scream Hitsugaya had ever heard in his life. This was shortly followed by Yumichika's rather girlish scream, as well.

Upon finding his 'beautifully kept face' in Ikkaku's...unmentionables, he'd had what one could call an epiphany. What he'd finally realized, no one knew, but whatever it was had him scrambling for the exit as soon as it hit him. Had Toshirou not been there, he very likely would have succeeded in his escape plan, but a clothesline to the face put paid to those thoughts.

Iba seemed to awaken, for the sound of a body hitting the floor, followed by a pained groan, seemed to indicate he'd fully awakened, rolled over, and not knowing what surface he was on, had fallen off the table he'd been so precariously perched on.

Renji, Hisagi, and Kira managed to struggle their way from the corner, untangling themselves from one another with quite a bit of cursing and wiggling. Kyoraku had lifted his straw hat, and greeted everyone with the look of a man well-rested. Hitsugaya had to fight the sudden urge to strangle the drunkard, but he suppressed it fairly easily. It wasn't worth it, anyway.

Ukitake had sat up suddenly, his bleary eyes betraying nothing short of surprise. Looking around, it seemed to take a couple of seconds for him to register where he was at, and more importantly, how he got there.

Ichigo was next, and Hitsugaya wondered why there was dried blood trailing from his nostrils. He shrugged, assuming that he'd gotten into a fight with Renji or Ikkaku, as the three often had spats between themselves that degenerated into 'playful fights'.

He corrected himself a second later, when he spied Ichigo's right hand on his lieutenant's rather voluptuous rear end, and had to fight off the urge to remove the strawberry's hand. Whether he'd just take it off gently, or he'd remove it entirely, he didn't quite know himself.

What REALLY got him hot under the collar was when he looked to what his lieutenant was lying on, or rather, WHOM.

* * *

Yuuto was just starting to awaken, his eyes blinking as the morning sun made its' presence known to his eyeballs. Reaching up to rub the sleep from them, he paused as he felt resistance. Frowning, he realized that there was a subtle amount of weight on his arm, and there was weight across his body, as well, now that he thought about it.

Allowing his eyes to adjust, he blinked as he stared into the face of a grinning Matsumoto Rangiku, her chest bare as she leaned on her elbows to stare into his eyes.

"Morning, cutie. Did you sleep well?" she purred, batting her eyelashes as she rubbed her puckered nipples against his unclothed chest.

Alarm bells rang instantly in his head, and he gave a rather unmanly squeak as he felt her rub his nether regions with one of her hands.

"You know, last night I was _soooo_ close to getting into these pants of yours, but I suppose we can pick up where we left off."

His response was interrupted by a sudden drop in temperature. The alarm bells were now much louder, and screaming something to the effect of, "_Code Red!"_ Looking around, he spotted the others scrambling away from him and the doorway, Ukitake's eyes wide as he stared at them. Kyoraku was laughing his head off, and Yuuto had to stamp out the urge to strangle the man. It wasn't worth it, anyway.

"Guys, it's not what it looks li-oh, dear God." Yuuto had been trying to explain the compromising situation that he'd found himself in, all the while looking for the source of the other's fear-filled eyes. Upon turning his head towards the exit, he'd spotted the LAST person he wanted to see.

Give him Hinamori.

Give him Kenpachi.

Give him Yachiru.

Give him Unohana.

Give him fucking Yamamoto, even.

NOT Hitsugaya.

He paled considerably as he put several things together. He was, from what he could feel, all but naked. He had Matsumoto, TOSHIROU'S LIEUTENANT, NAKED on top of him, AND he could see, out of the corner of his eye, the smaller captain's couch.

This, he paused at. How in the hell did they get that couch here?

Wait, this was not the time for that. He could worry about that later.

Now, he had to focus on keeping himself alive.

"Ahh, Hitsugaya-taichou! Glad you're here. Listen, if you could get your, er, lieutenant off of me, that would be most appreciated."

"Aww, but don't you want to play some more, Yuuto-kun~? We haven't even gotten to the good part, yet~!"

The temperature took another sudden plummet, and Yuuto rolled his eyes. "_Fuck! This woman is going to get me killed!"_

"Ara, Hitsugaya-san. It's not what it looks like. I swe-"

"Ukitake."

The man blinked as his name was used. "Yes, Toshirou-kun?"

"Get off my couch."

Blinking, the man realized that he was, indeed, on the smaller captain's couch. He quickly got off, standing next to Kyoraku while glaring at the carefree captain, something to the extent of, "_This is all your fault."_

Turning to the two before him, Hitsugaya's eyes landed on Yuuto. "You. Up. Now."

Despite the fact that he was a captain and of similar rank, Yuuto felt no need to question Hitsugaya's order, and carefully but quickly sprang to his feet, leaving Matsumoto on the ground pouting.

"Taichou! I was having fun with him!"

"Rangiku..."

She blinked at this. He ALWAYS used her maiden name. If he ever used her personal name, it was for one of two reasons: He was extremely serious, or he was extremely pissed.

He took a breath, and exhaled. Then he blew his stack. "**WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY OFFICE?!"**

She cringed as he roared his displeasure. He rarely got this mad, so she MUST have done something really bad this time. However, she couldn't remem-

"OH! I remember now. We ran out of sake, so we decided to go get my secret stash that I always keep in the office. For emergencies, of course!" She began. "When we got there, I used the spare key hidden under the floormat, and got the sake. But then we got tired, so we decided to party there!"

Oblivious to her captain's demeanor, she continued. "When we got bored, we decided to leave. But not before taking the couch. It's my favorite sleeping spot, after all!" She beamed, apparently proud with herself for remembering.

Having managed to make himself decent, at least, Yuuto joined the others, all the while ignoring the blatant glares from Kira, Hisagi, and Renji.

Rubbing his forehead, Toshirou made a decision. "Matsumoto Rangiku! At attention!" he commanded, his tone leaving no room for discussion. Collecting herself, she made herself decent and stood at attention.

"Hisagi Shuhei, Izuru Kira, Tetsuzaemon Iba, Abarai Renji, Madarame Ikkaku, and Ayasegawa Yumichika, at attention!" All aforementioned individuals lined up in front of Toshirou.

"You are receiving the following orders: You will remove my couch from these premises, and return it to its' rightful resting place. Following that, I will be having each and every one of you clean and repair my office WITHOUT the usage of Kido. You are not to leave my office, or do anything else UNTIL you have completed these tasks. AM I CLEAR?!"

"HAI!" came their chorused reply.

"Very well. I will overlook this...debacle, and allow you to carry out your orders. Dismissed!" With that, the lieutenants and seated officers went about the process of cleaning up and getting ready to move the couch back to the 10th Division.

Hitsugaya sighed, and walked over to Yuuto. "Look, I know she can be pushy and overbearing at times, but Matsumoto is a good person with a good heart. She's a blasted airhead most of the time, but overall, she's a smart woman. Just...don't be afraid to tell her no, okay?"

Yuuto shook his head. "Telling her no wasn't the problem. Getting her to understand that my no actually MEANT no was what seemed to be the hard part. Combine that with alcohol, and I couldn't get her to stop."

Hitsugaya groaned, palming his face. "Tell me about it. You mind if you and I trade lieutenants? Like, permanently?"

Yuuto scoffed. "Yeah, right. Like I'm going to fall for that one. You freakin' wish, Shiro-chan~."

"That's Hitsugaya-taichou, damn it!"

"Yeah, yeah. The best you're getting out of me on a regular basis is Hitsugaya-san, so deal with it."

Growling, he nodded. "I suppose that's acceptable."

Yuuto smiled. "Good! Now then, I-" he stopped. They all looked at him, and he turned green before rushing to the bathroom. They heard his stomach's violent protest of the previous night, and sighed.

Turning around, Hitsugaya watched as the lieutenants and seated officers began to haul his couch back to his compound, Matsumoto giving the men orders on how to carry it. "Fuck it. I'm going back to my office."

As he left, Ichigo stood there in silence as he let the events of last night and this morning wash over him like a tidal wave of knowledge. "We really did-"

Kyoraku nodded. "Yep."

"And we really-"

"Uh-huh."

"Did Yuuto-san and Rangiku-san-"

"Sadly, no, but we were so close."

Rounding on the flowery captain, Ichigo balked. "You what?"

Kyoraku nodded again, a faraway look in his eyes. "Oh, the possible blackmail that I could have had."

Ichigo blinked. "Fuck this. I'm following Toshirou." With that, he did an about-face and left.

Ukitake shook his head. "My friend, you really know your way with people."

Kyoraku grinned. "I know, right?"

Ukitake sighed. "You need some serious help, my friend."

Kyoraku's grin only widened. "I sure do."

As Yuuto continued to retch, Ukitake palmed his face. "Why do I hang out with you, again?"

Shunsui slapped the other man's back. "Cause you love me, and you know it!"

Ukitake groaned.

* * *

Splashing cold water in his face, he heard the door to his office open and close. Assuming Ichigo left, he took a towel and wiped his face. He felt a little better, but he wasn't running any marathons today. Slapping his cheeks, he tried to bring a little color back into his face. It somewhat succeeded, and he sighed.

"I swear to Kami, never again. I've learned my lesson, and I'm never going drinking with that flowery bastard again."

Opening the door, he was greeted to the sight of Matsumoto Rangiku chatting away with his lieutenant, who was busy doing her best to listen to the bubbly woman.

"So taichou got REALLY mad, and he yelled at me! I haven't seen him that mad in a while. It must be because he didn't get breakfast this morning." she was saying, apparently having already forgotten that it was the fact that his office was ransacked by nearly a dozen drunken individuals the previous night.

She stopped talking as she noticed Yuuto's presence in the room. "Yuuto-kun! Oh my, you look terrible!"

Scoffing, he walked over to his desk, and collapsed in the chair, his hands reaching for a pen and paper. "Thanks for noticing."

Shaking her finger, she walked over and rounded his desk, not noticing how Momo stiffened as she saw Rangiku press her bosom against her captain's face.

"Come on, Yuuto-kun. Where'd all that happy-go-lucky energy that you had last night go to? You were such a good drinking partner, and few people can make me laugh like you can. I know! Let's go out and get wasted tonight, too!"

Sighing, he shook his head. "As for your question, my 'happy-go-lucky energy' probably got flushed down the toilet, along with everything I ate and drank last night." He made a distasteful face at the memory. "Secondly, I'm a comedian at heart, so I'm only too happy to make people laugh. Thirdly, I am still recuperating from last night's...excursion. I don't think I can go with you tonight."

Momo had bristled as she heard Rangiku offer to take him out again, but relaxed as her captain declined. "_Wait, why am I so against this? Rangiku-san and I are friends, so I shouldn't be opposed to her having a good time. Then why...why do I feel angry when she gets so close to Yuuto-san?"_

Shaking her head, she looked over to see Rangiku practically shoving Yuuto's head into her breasts, his face sporting a slightly pinkish hue as she pleaded with him to go drinking with her again.

"Come on! It won't be as fun without you! Besides, I never got to finish what I started last night, either!"

THAT got Momo's attention. "Um, excuse me." Both heads turned to regard her. "Um, what do you mean by that, Rangiku-san?"

Rangiku took a second to think it over, then smiled as she answered. "Last night, I nearly got into Yuuto-kun's pants! I was _soooo_ close, too!"

Momo's eyes widened, and she dropped the tray she'd been carrying. "Y-you...and Yuuto-san...what?"

Yuuto had been in the process of drinking a glass of water that Momo had brought him, but promptly spit it out at Rangiku's answer, choking violently as he tried to breathe.

"What the hell?!" he gasped, finally regaining some composure. "When in the hell did THIS take place?!"

Rangiku pouted. "Oh, don't tell me you don't remember this morning?"

Momo's eyes began to water slightly. "This morning?"

Yuuto's eyes widened. "I remember! Why the hell were you on top of me?!"

Rangiku smiled. "Cause I wanted to! You're a comfy mattress, by the way!"

Yuuto was about to reply, when he heard footsteps. Both of them turned to see the door to his office slam shut, and footsteps pound away from it.

Palming his face tiredly, he sighed. "What did I do to deserve this?"

Rangiku blinked. "Hmm, I wonder what got her so upset?"

Yuuto gave her a dry look. "Really? Could it have possibly been the fact that you nearly jumped me last night? That's not exactly the type of conversation you have in public."

Rangiku shook her head, her grin plastered to her face. "Nonsense! Momo-chan just has a crush on you, that's all!"

Once again, Yuuto had been attempting (key word: attempting) to drink his water, but was once again forced to turn it into a projectile.

"You've got some sense of humor, Rangiku. As far as I'm concerned, she still hates me for taking her captain's spot. I just thank my lucky stars that she hasn't murdered me in my sleep."

Rangiku swatted his shoulder. "Don't say such a thing! She likes you, I can tell. She wouldn't react that way if she didn't."

"Like I said, talking about sex is not something generally done in front of others."

"Pshh, I do it all the time."

"That's what has me worry."

Rangiku's eyes sparkled. "You worry about me? Oh, that is so _sweet_!"

Groaning, Yuuto slammed his head on the desk.

_**Chapter 5: Complete! If you haven't been able to tell by now, this story will be heavily laced with humor, both good, bad, and...well, let's just call it "good-intentioned", and leave it at that. Comment, rate, and review, or I'll unleash demonic ants into your beds. Am I kidding?...Who knows?**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6: The Escape**_

In the lowest levels of Seireitei, there existed a prison that was reserved for a select few 'lucky' individuals that had been deemed such a threat to not only Soul Society, but the Human World and even the balance between worlds itself, that they needed to be imprisoned and kept under constant watch. Most of these individuals had long since rotted away in the dark, impenetrable walls of the prison.

However, one such man was still alive, and still very much a threat.

Sosuke Aizen, the former Gobantai Taichou of the Gotei Juusantai, turned traitor and murderer. A man with a SERIOUS case of arrogance, and one that had a rather convoluted god-complex, to boot. For all of his lorded intelligence, and his keen, 'all-seeing' intellect, he had not been able to foresee his confinement in the lowest level of Seireitei's underground prison.

He'd finally admitted to himself that he'd gotten cocky. With the Hogyouku at his every command, he thought himself untouchable. Once the gem had fused with his being, he believed the game he'd been playing with Soul Society to be over, checkmate in his favor.

However, he had not counted on the one wild card in his entire scheme to make a surprise appearance, and with a rather nasty power-up in tow.

He'd merely thought it all a bluff, big talk to hide a not-even-noticeable power behind it. That changed when the youth had brought it to his front doorstep, and his big talk was backed by an even bigger walk. Everything he'd thrown at him had been either brushed aside or outright destroyed. With each successive failure, it began to instill in him something he'd long thought rid of: **FEAR**.

When the boy caught his blade, he'd been stunned. Surely this was not the same person who could barely stand to be in his presence merely an hour beforehand. Where had that scared little boy gone, and who in the hell had replaced him?

A monster, he thought. He was proven correct when the man had all but shattered his Kurohitsugi with merely a sweep of his arm. He'd decided to not play around anymore, and had used the full power of the Level 90 Hado, reciting the entire chant perfectly down to the last word. He'd pushed it as far as it would go, and had been satisfied with the results.

Until he broke the kido like a kid would destroy a sand castle.

The growing uncertainty had been momentarily quashed, his certainty that Kurosaki had been obliterated showing on his face. That uncertainty not only came back, but blossomed into full-blown panic when Ichigo broke the kido.

That calm, uncaring visage. Those eyes...THOSE EYES! He grit his teeth just THINKING about them! He was looking DOWN on him, he was sure of it! Looking upon him like one would look upon a cockroach, nothing but contempt for the insignificant creature that stood in his way.

Sosuke Aizen was NOT to be looked down upon. Even as he moved his vantage point higher, he still felt the every present watchful eye of Kurosaki Ichigo, the man calmly assessing the situation, and deciding that he could take Aizen blindfolded in his current state.

All his previous failures at taking the man down, all the insults and injuries he'd sustained until this point, all of it culminated in that blinding rage that heralded another transformation. Once finished, he was once more confident he had the upper hand.

He was proven wrong _again_!

How? How had a mere HUMAN, someone who had no powers to begin with, manage to get so far ahead of him, to ascend so much further than himself? It baffled his mind, clogged his thoughts, and brought everything else to a screeching halt as he regarded the man before him, his power clearly visible yet...he could still feel nothing.

Upon remembering his own analogy, he'd lost all semblance of restraint, all semblance of control, his level-headed facade replaced with the visage of a madman. He knew it, yet didn't care. This...this HUMAN...this pile of garbage...this utter SCUM...there was NO WAY he could have surpassed him. It. Was. IMPOSSIBLE!

Reality had hit him like an abusive father, and he was catapulted into a world of darkness. Pure, never-ending blackness. He tried to breathe, to scream in protest, to claw and scrape and rip and tear his way out, but his body would not listen to his mind.

He could feel his body starting to tear, the molecules separating as if he was being unborn outside the womb. It was the most excruciatingly painful experience of his entire afterlife. Never had he felt this level of pain. It made a stab wound to the gut feel like a pinprick.

Had it not been for the Hogyouku, he'd have ceased to exist right there. Even as his body was dissolving like ice under the midday sun, the sentient gem was in the process of reconstructing him outside the area of effect, his molecules reattaching themselves to one another and forming a somewhat unscathed body.

His appearance had drastically changed, though, and he could no longer feel the heavy weight of the wings that had adorned his back. He figured they'd been lost, and the Hogyouku must have determined them either a lost cause or unnecessary. He was fine with that. He'd taken Kurosaki's last and strongest attack, and had come out alive. THAT was what mattered.

He felt himself falling, and was unable to brace for the impact. His body crashed into the ground, and once more the Hogyouku managed to save his life, high-speed regeneration mending broken bones and crushed organs. He felt his body finally coming together completely, and could also feel the skin being mended, the horrendous gash parallel with his spine mending itself of its' own accord.

He'd heard the sound of a nearly breathless Shunpo, and managed to struggle to his feet, his weak reiatsu senses finally registering Kurosaki's presence as the man collapsed to his knees, his power level rapidly dropping even as he managed to stand.

He'd thought he'd won. He FINALLY WON!

Inside his cell, he scoffed outwardly.

He should have known that that sly bastard Urahara would have done something. He thought his victory over the former head of Research and Development too easy, but chalked it up to the overwhelmingly powerful presence of the Hogyouku.

As he was being sealed, he regarded the scientist. Why? Why, with all of his intelligence, his lorded skills in all the major fields of research, study, creation, and even combat, did he simply bow to the Spirit King like a dog to its' master? He should be fighting WITH him, not AGAINST him. That...THING...did not deserve the loyalty it received from Soul Society. No, it only deserved a slow, painful death at his hand.

Yes, he was going to kill him, and he was going to take great joy in watching the life fade from god's eyes.

Inside Sosuke Aizen's cell, a pulse was felt. Then another. And another. Slow at first, then increasing in increments, until finally a rapid beating could be felt. Would it have been able to be felt by anyone other than Aizen, the alarm would have been raised immediately, and he would have been executed on the spot.

However, the Hogyouku knew this, and did not intend to have its' 'master' killed so easily. No, it took great pleasure in watching this feeble worm struggle to cause chaos, and it figured that it would lend him its' power once more.

Unbeknownst to Aizen, however, this would be his LAST chance to get what he wanted. If he failed...

* * *

A loud explosion could be heard as a cell suddenly had its' doors violently torn off. They were thrown outwards like a paperweight, ricocheting off the far wall and alerting guards to a disturbance.

The assault was so sudden, so unexpected, and so violent, that the guards hadn't a chance to get out a warning before they were torn asunder, blood spraying the walls of the jail's inner workings. The Shinigami in the control room could only watch as their companions were tossed about like rag dolls, the shrouded figure quickly making its' way to their front door.

The Shinigami in charge of the control room's communications managed to get off a hasty alert before his head was removed from his shoulders, bouncing along the ground before landing near his superior's feet. The slaughter continued, until the room was painted a dull crimson, the carnage before the shrouded figure only making him smile. Pressing the button to unlock the doors leading to the surface, he calmly walked out, wiping his newly reformed sword on a nearby corpse.

Seki-Seki rock lined every jail cell, every hallway, and every entrance/exit in the entire jail. Even the main entrance, a large elevator shaft hundreds of feet wide and several hundred thousand yards deep, which was also the sole way to reach the surface, was lined with seki-seki rock. Despite this, it would pose little problem to him, as he already knew an easy solution to this.

Despite belief to the contrary, Shinigami could not fly. They could make it seem as if they did, but that was not the case. They merely solidified the reiatsu underneath their feet, allowing them to walk or even run on air. They, however, could not fly as they did not have wings. The seki-seki rock prevented them from solidifying reiatsu, which thusly prevented them from escaping without the aid of the elevator. With Aizen, this problem was easily rectified.

Blood spouted from his back in a crude, blackish-crimson geyser, and his butterfly-like appendages reformed, flapping once, then twice. They easily carried him up without the need for much reiatsu, and no need to solidify it. As he ascended to the surface, he could only think of the sweet, sweet looks of utter horror on everyone's face when he arrived.

Sosuke Aizen...had been reborn.

* * *

Inside the 12th Division, the alarms were anything but silent. Shinigami from every sub-division were frantically scrambling to and fro, giving status reports and doing their best to contain the ever-growing situation. Underground, doors were sealed, exits locked and special seki-seki walls were erected to prevent a single person from making his escape.

With each failure in their endeavor, the men only grew more panicked. Finally, the prisoner was reaching the uppermost level, just below the surface, and they had nothing left to stop him with.

Kurosutchi Nemu only watched in horror as Sosuke Aizen systematically destroyed their every defense, and making it look like child's play only added insult to injury. Reluctantly, she had to admit to herself, and to her captain, who was watching with similar anger and horror.

"DO SOMETHING, YOU _IDIOTS_! DO YOU REALIZE THAT IF HE ESCAPES, WE COULD VERY WELL BE KILLED?!"

"Mayuri-sama."

The captain of the 12th Division rounded on his lieutenant, words dying on his lips as he saw her expression. She NEVER looked this...this hopeless.

"It is no use, Mayuri-sama. He has the Hogyouku. As long as it works for him, there is little we can do to stop him."

Despite his mind's vehement protests, it knew she was right. They had nothing that could stop him. Their technology was proven worthless in comparison to his overwhelming might.

Mayuri sighed. "Call the Soutaichou once more. Tell him...tell him Sosuke Aizen has escaped confinement."

Nemu nodded, and went to make the call.

As chaos continued to ensue around him, Mayuri Kurosutchi turned to the monitor to watch Aizen break through the last obstacle to his freedom.

"We're dead. Unless Kurosaki has TRULY regained all of his powers, we're dead. We just don't know it, yet.

* * *

Sokyoku Hill.

Widely known, and an iconic landmark in its' own right, this place has been the site of numerous conflicts in Seireitei, from Rukia's attempted exectution, to Ichigo and Byakuya's 3rd conflict, to Ichigo and Kariya's final fight. It was also the site of Aizen, Gin, and Tousen's defection, and the Zanpakuto Muramasa's confrontation with the Shinigami, which began the 'Zanpakuto Rebellion'.

It is here that Aizen finally emerged from his 1 ½ year imprisonment, his eyes squinting at the midday sun's intensity. Too long has he been stifled down there, so it takes some time for his eyes to adjust to the brightness of a REAL light.

Glancing around, Aizen's face twists into a smirk. How ironic. That he would surface at such a historic place. He knew nothing of the other feats performed here except his own, yet it still struck him full of irony, nonetheless.

Feeling several reiatsu signatures, he couldn't help but smile as he felt the entirety of the Onmitsukido surround him, their firebrand of a captain not far behind.

"So, I'm to be greeted by the Stealth Force, and their not-so-stoic captain first, ne? How interesting."

"Give it up, Aizen. You have nowhere to go, and you are in no position to talk." came Soifon's response.

"No position to talk? Why, I believe I'm in every position to talk. I'm far stronger than you give me credit for, Soifon-taichou."

She was about to retort, when she felt the cold harshness of a steel blade pressed gently against her throat, the entirety of her forces a twisted pile of broken bones and mangled flesh.

"_N-no! Impossible. I didn't even blink! He...just after breaking free...he can't be this powerful!"_

Her eyes managed to make their way to his face, and she could see his damnable smirk fixed in place.

"It's been fun. Sayonara, Soifon-taichou."

She closed her eyes, waiting for the blade to bite into her flesh. When she felt nothing, she looked to see nearly the entirety of the Gotei 13 surrounding them, and the new captain holding onto Aizen's blade with a bored expression.

Taking this opportunity that had been given her, she sprang back, perspiration pouring down her face as she took stock of how close she came to death. The reality of it brought her to her knees, and she couldn't stop the trembling in her limbs.

"Soifon. Get ahold of yourself. Soifon!"

She felt her lady's presence, and she turned her head to regard Yoruichi, wide eyes staring into worried ones.

"He...so fast...I couldn't..."

"It's alright, Soifon. I couldn't have done anything, either." Yoruichi said. "Now, just watch. That's what most of us are here for, anyway. He should be able to take care of it."

Turning, she regarded the new captain, the man who'd been able to stop Aizen's blade with little effort. It was difficult for her to wrap her head around his possible strength, but she just accepted the fact that without him, she'd very likely be among her Stealth Force on the ground, dead or dying.

"So, you're Aizen. You've got quite the reputation, I must say." began Yuuto, a mocking tone accompanying his words. "If I didn't know any better, I'd assume you were a god of some sort."

Pulling his blade from the man's hand, Aizen turned to regard the newcomer. "Ishigawa Yuuto. My, it has been some time since I last saw you. Has your journey through the Dangai granted you any enlightenment?"

Scoffing, Yuuto leveled a look at the traitor. "You could say that. I had a feeling that you were behind it, but I'd never gotten the chance to prove it. You've gone and done it for me, so for that, I'm thankful. I'm also thankful, ironically, for you trapping me in there."

Aizen raised an eyebrow. "How so, if I may ask?"

Yuuto shrugged, casually strolling around the man as if talking to a comrade. "Well, if you hadn't trapped me in there, I doubt that I would have gained the strength that I currently possess, and I am positive that I would not be even close to a level with which I could fight you at. So, in those regards, I give you my sincerest thanks."

Aizen laughed. "I see the Dangai has warped your perception of power as well as your mind. I am far superior to you. I'm merely-"

"Lowering your presence so that we can sense you, correct?"

Aizen's eyes widened, and he whipped his head around so fast, some thought it would snap off.

"Y-you! It can't be!"

Ichigo leveled a glare at Aizen, Rukia and Hinamori behind him with glares of their own.

"Unfortunately for you, it is. I've returned, Aizen, and this time, you will not be leaving here alive."

Aizen quickly composed himself, looking around at the assembled members of the Gotei 13.

"I see that you've outdone yourself regarding the welcome wagon, Yamamoto-soutaichou."

Said man huffed. "For you, we would utilize nothing less than the full might of the Gotei Juusantai. You are a traitor and a madman, and must be eliminated before you pose a further threat to the World of the Living, as well as Soul Society."

Aizen scoffed. "As if a feeble old man and his lackeys could hope to stop me."

Yuuto appeared before him, hand on his blade. "THEY don't have to. I'm the only one needed to wipe the floor with you."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Yuuto-san! Don't!"

Turning to Ichigo, he gave him a look that bordered on soul-piercing. "Do. Not. Interfere. You took him down once, and now it's my turn to do the same. Besides, you haven't had your powers for that long, so you are not currently at full strength. Remember what I said, Ichigo."

He turned to Aizen and drew his blade. "I've been in the Dangai for far longer than you have, so you should know how easily I can handle someone like him."

Ichigo was struck dumb. Of course. How could he have forgotten. He smiled, and put his hands behind his head. "Fine, but if you get your ass kicked, don't expect me to come running to your aid."

Yuuto smiled. "Wouldn't have it any other way." Turning his full attention to Aizen, he nodded. "So, shall we begin?"

Aizen smirked. "Actually, I was thinking of putting this to an end. Right NOW!" With that, he moved faster than most of the captains could even see, let alone follow. Their concern for their fellow captain was paramount, and shouts to get away were heard around the circle.

"Yuuto-san! Get out of there!" cried Hinamori, her fears of losing her kind-hearted captain coming back full force.

A ring of steel was heard, and backlash was forced into their faces, the wind causing some to cover their faces.

Aizen stood there in shock, his blade clashing with the other man's blade. His shock was only increased when he was grabbed by the throat, and hefted off his feet. It was mirrored by the incredulous looks coming from the assembled Shinigami. Even the Soutaichou had opened his eyes in a start.

"It seems that you have not learned your lesson from the last time Ichigo pounded it into your skull. Very well. Since I can only assume that you have no regard for life, human, Shinigami, or otherwise, I will have to take this elsewhere."

Within a second, both combatants were gone, and their spiritual pressure could be felt clear across Seireitei. The assembled Shinigami made their way there instantly, their fear outmatched by their desire to see Aizen fall at the hands of the Gobantai Taichou.

Appearing in a familiar setting, Aizen was roughly released, his hand coming up to rub his throat.

"Now that there are no spectators, I can go all out." Pointing his sword at Aizen, he spoke. "**Shouhi, Shieien Kaosu. (Consume, Eternal Chaos)**"

Black reiatsu enveloped the captain, and Aizen merely stood there. A Shikai release would not harm him in the slightest, so there was nothing to fear.

The reiatsu quickly disappated, and the captain stood there in his black armor, katana at the ready. "Let's begin, Aizen. I'll finish this in an instant."

Aizen started, and he couldn't help himself from laughing outright.

Yuuto quirked and eyebrow. "Something funny?"

Aizen composed himself. "Yes, but it's what you would call an, 'inside joke'."

Yuuto shrugged. "Have it your way. Do you want to start, or should I just kill you now?"

Aizen scoffed, and swung his blade, attempting to cleave off the other man's head. Yuuto effortlessly blocked it, sneaking into Aizen's guard and drawing his blade across the man's arm. A shallow cut appeared, and Aizen tsk'd, before kicking Yuuto in the chest, forcing him back.

"If weak strikes such as that are the best you can manage, then you have no hope of defeating me."

"Who said I had to beat you with strong strikes. As long as I draw blood, this battle is mine."

"Such arrogance. Victory is far from certain, especially for the likes of you!" Arcing his blade in an overhead strike, Aizen managed to draw some blood of his own, Yuuto's cheek parting slightly under the traitor's blade.

Leaping back, Yuuto put a hand to his cheek, and it came away red. "Hmm, not bad. You're slightly faster than anticipated. Looks like I'll have to kick it up a notch, then."

In a flash, two more shallow cuts appeared on Aizen's arm, joining the first one in bleeding sluggishly.

Aizen merely smirked. "Really? I'm not impressed, Yuuto-san. I'd thought you'd be more-"

A gargled scream tore itself from Aizen's throat, and he clutched his shoulder in agony, falling to his knees.

Yuuto turned to regard the fallen man. "_**Hokori ni Mukeru**_. It's the technique that my Shikai employs, though I rarely use it. Anything I cut not once, not twice, but three times will turn to dust, although it appears more like sand than anything."

Even as Yuuto spoke, Aizen's arm had already begun to fall apart, his flesh and bone falling off as it rapidly turned to dust, the clumps of sand forming a pile at his feet.

"It hurts, doesn't it? To have your arm rapidly reconstructed into a pile of sand. It must, judging from the way you're kneeling in agony."

Gritting his teeth, Aizen forced himself to stand, the disintegration ending where the last cut was made, just below his shoulder. "You...you bastard! You self-righteous, asinine BASTARD!"

His shoulder erupted into a fountain of blood, and a new arm was given form, covered in the remains of the stump he'd just had moments ago. Yuuto had seconds before he was slashed across the chest, his grunt audible as he leapt backwards.

Panting, Aizen flexed his new arm, the hand curling into a fist and back. Seemingly satisfied with the Hogyouku's work, he leapt after Yuuto, blood flying as he carved another gash into the man's left arm.

Cursing his lack of attention, Yuuto swung back, three more shallow cuts appearing in quick succession on Aizen's right hand. Forced to drop his blade, Aizen howled in agony as his right hand joined his former left arm, the small pile of dust pooling at his feet.

Just as quickly, the stump regrew a new hand, blood dripping from the fingers as he grasped his fallen sword and swung, carving a third gash into Yuuto's body, this time forming an X with the first gash across the man's chest.

Using Shunpo, Yuuto landed on a nearby plateau, blood dripping onto the rockface as he clutched his wounds. He'd been careless, thinking Aizen would be immobilized by the pain. He had counted on the man being able to regenerate. The Hogyouku could do that much. However, the captain had thought he'd had more time.

"I suppose this is what I get for challenging the Hogyouku with just a Shikai."

"You're correct."

Whipping around, Yuuto dodged a strike meant to sever his spine, and elbowed the traitor in the face, before sending him flying into a cluster of rocks with a roundhouse kick to the abdomen.

Panting, he began to build his reiatsu quickly, knowing he'd have little time to execute his tactic. Already, Aizen was pulling himself from the rubble, a scowl on his face as he brushed the debris from his shoulders.

"Aizen." Turning, said man regarded Yuuto with an intent stare. "Here's where things get a little more interesting."

Gripping his right arm with his left hand, he breathed out slowly, and-

"Bankai."

Black reiatsu erupted from Yuuto, causing Aizen to shield his eyes from the flying dust and debris. Looking out, he saw a column of black reiatsu that seemed to ascend into the sky without end.

Suddenly, he blanched and stumbled backwards. This couldn't be right. It was not happening.

"_Not again! This man...not him, too!"_ He could no longer feel Yuuto's reiatsu. It had grown stronger and stronger and stronger, then plummeted until he couldn't feel a thing. Flashbacks to his last fight with Ichigo had him stumble back several more steps.

"It...it's not possible...for not one...but two individuals to be stronger than I."

The tower of black reiatsu parted, and Yuuto stood with a midnight black blade, the handguard a white, eight-pronged star and the hilt stark white, as well. The rest of the blade may as well have been a direct copy of Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu (for it was as black as black could be) save for the second blade parallel to the first (which was also black).

_***A/N: To assist with visuals, picture Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu with two blades parallel to one another instead of one, the handguard replaced with a white eight-pronged star and the handle/hilt white instead of black. No chain, either.***_

"It's been a long time since I've had to use this form." Yuuto began. "But I would expect nothing less would work on the wielder of the Hogyouku. Prepare yourself, Aizen. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are not to be trifled with."

_**Chapter 6 is done, and we're finally getting to some action. Aizen is back, and he's mad as hell. Let's see just how far he can go before he snaps.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7: Unexpected Complications**_

Aizen blinked. "What?"

Yuuto shook his head. "Maybe this will clear things up. I'll repeat myself."

Pointing his blade at Aizen, he repeated his statement. "**Bankai. ****Jikan no Owari, Harumagedon. (Time's End, Armageddon)**"

Seeing comprehension dawn in Aizen's eyes, he continued. "Eternal Chaos is my Shikai. Armageddon is my Bankai. The End of the World, you could say. It bestows upon me the powers of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Famine, Plague, War, and Death."

"Eternal Chaos and The End of the World are both parallel and polar opposites of one another. Both cause chaos, discord, and destruction. One wishes to continue it for eternity, while the other wishes to end it all in the blink of an eye. THAT is my Zanpakuto."

Aizen stood there, his face betraying his shock and awe. Then, he composed himself.

"I see. I think I understand now. You have an impressive power, I will not deny that. However, it is nothing compared to the power of the Hogyouku. BEHOLD!"

Purple reiatsu shot into the air, similar to Yuuto's previous tower of reiatsu. The transformation took hold, and with a wave of his hand, the purple reiatsu parted, revealing Aizen in his demonic-looking form.

"**As I have previously said, your powers cannot hold a candle to my mastery of the Hogyouku! It is unacceptable that a lowly Shinigami such as yourself outclass me in power. Now I shall instill the proper despair into your very soul. Prepare yourself, Ishigawa Yuuto!**"

With barely a sound, Aizen appeared before Yuuto, blade in motion as he attempted another gash across the man's chest. His blade was deflected, and he was forced back under the overwhelming pressure of Yuuto's swing.

"Seriously? I'd hoped you'd have realized that you are outclassed already, but I suppose you're the type that learns through trial and error." Shrugging, Yuuto vanished. Aizen widened his eyes before feeling cold steel carve its' way through his side. Whirling around, he blocked a second strike, then a third and a fourth. The captain began to drive his adversary back across the plateau, following Aizen's every move and exploiting every opening.

"**So, your Bankai increases your speed, augments your strength, and does all of this while maintaining a small form. It is strikingly similar to Kurosaki Ichigo's Bankai, although much less impressive.**"

Yuuto nodded. "I noticed the similarities, and was duly impressed. Not many can compress the enormity of Bankai into such a small form. However, that is not the only power my Bankai possesses."

Aizen caught the hidden meaning, but could not decipher it. He began to analyze the situation, and was shocked when he could feel his strikes weakening of their own accord.

"**What is this? What power are you utilizing to-**" He paused. Looking to his side, he could see the high-speed regeneration already at work, knitting the flesh back together. But it was doing it at a much slower pace than before, which cause him to lose more blood than anticipated.

"I'm using two of my four abilities right now. The first is Famine. Upon my blade making contact with anything that requires a form of energy to function, my blade will sap a portion of that energy, and convert it to reiatsu that I can utilize. While the portion is small, with repeated strikes, I can slowly drain the reiatsu of my opponent."

"Secondly, Plague. My blade is coated in a weak neurotoxin that will dull your senses, weaken your movements, and disrupt your concentration. While it is not lethal, if you are exposed to a large amount, it will all but paralyze you with time."

Gritting his teeth, Aizen let the Hogyouku do its' job, filtering the toxin from his system and finishing closing the wound in his side. While it could do both, it would have to prioritize the toxin, thus making the time needed to close his wound longer than usual.

"**I must say, that I am slightly impressed that you could combine those two powers so effectively. With most enemies, once they are wounded, the constant clashing of blades, combined with the slow work of the poison, would cause them to be considerably weakened, making a long, drawn out fight an incredible advantage to you.**"

"**However, I am not like most enemies. I have once more transcended the limitations that are imposed upon normal individuals, and with my limitations gone, I am no longer bound by the insignificant rules of the Shinigami. I can, for example, cast Kido with little or no incantation, regardless of level!**"

He pointed his clawed appendage at Yuuto. "_**Hado no Nananjuuichi: Soren Shakkaho. (Hado #71: Twin Red Flame Cannon)**_"

Two spiraling red orbs, each the size of a small marble, twirled around his finger before shooting straight at Yuuto. He grinned as the man broke his connection with his blade to dodge. The two balls collided with a nearby plateau, and it was promptly eradicated, the fire intense enough to turn the rock into molten slag.

Turning to regard Yuuto, Aizen clapped mockingly. **"Indeed, that was impressive. To dodge a point-blank Level 70 Kido, you truly are more than a captain by name and rank alone. I dare say you are even stronger than what I once was as the Gobantai Taichou. However, I have several more feats for you to overcome, so I dare say you should prepare yourself, Shinigami."**

* * *

It had taken some time, but as they arrived, the spectators could feel the overwhelming pressure coming from Aizen. Most of them could not get within a certain distance, and only the captains and lieutenants could manage to get close enough to have a decent view without being forced to their knees.

Only Ichigo could feel Yuuto's pressure, and it astounded him how high it truly was. It made his previous heights after training in the Dangai a mere 2,000 hours (1 standard hour) pale in comparison.

He had not realized he was trembling until a small hand firmly clasped his.

"Ichigo."

Turning, he regarded Rukia, worry ever present in her eyes. He squeezed her hand back, and managed a smile.

"Don't worry, Rukia. Yuuto's going to be fine."

"Yes, but are YOU fine?"

Her concern for his well-being touched him. "I'm...fine. I'm just...overwhelmed, that's all."

Rukia nodded. "I know. Aizen's spiritual pressure..."

Ichigo shook his head, getting her to blink in confusion. "No, not Aizen. I'm sure you can't feel it, but I can. Yuuto-san's spiritual pressure...even now, he's holding a portion of it back. I've never felt anything this strong. Aizen could very well die here."

Rukia's eyes widened. Spiritual pressure stronger than Aizen? Stronger than Ichigo? Now she knew why he trembled. It wasn't from fear.

It was from awe.

* * *

Sensing their approach, Yuuto scowled. Aizen sensed them, as well, and grinned wickedly.

"**You know as well as I do that you have just been handicapped, Ishigawa Yuuto. For now, you can no longer attack me without fear that I may dodge. If I do dodge, your...comrades...will suffer a brutal end. So, if you will, just stand there and take it!**"

Aizen leapt forward, his maniacal grin never leaving his face as he drew his blade across Yuuto's stomach, blood shooting out in an arc across his white, skin-like covering. A slash to his arm, then one to his leg. Blood began arcing in every direction as Aizen hacked away at Yuuto, the captain grunting as his life-giving fluid began to cover the rockface.

Murmurs went out throughout the crowd. Why wasn't he blocking? Why didn't he fight back?

Rukia clung to Ichigo, burying her face in his robes. "This is horrible." Ichigo could only nod in response.

Hinamori turned to Hitsugaya, tears in her eyes. "Shiro-chan, why isn't Yuuto-taichou fighting back?"

Hitsugaya cursed, something she rarely heard him do. "It's probably because we were stupid. We followed them, and pushed Yuuto into a corner. He's the only thing, aside from Kurosaki, that is between us and Aizen. If he attacks, and he misses, we're as good as dead.

Momo's eyes widened. Her captain knew this, and was purposefully letting Aizen hack at him like a deranged butcher. She, among others, cried out his name when Aizen took off Yuuto's left arm, the limb falling to the plateau below.

Staggering back, Yuuto spat out blood from his mouth as he clutched his arm, blood now soaking his captain's haori. He removed it and let it fall to the ground below, his black armor stained with his lifeblood.

"_This can't continue. I can't take too many more hits. I need to find a way to keep him from attacking everyone, while at the same time freeing myself up to fight back."_

Reluctantly, he turned around, knowing he'd be presenting his back to the enemy.

"Ichigo." He started. "Do me a favor." He felt the sharp tear of cold steel into his back, and he grit his teeth as Aizen began tearing up his back with his sword. "I can't protect everyone and fight back at the same time. I need you to-"

He stopped as a blade pierced his back, slamming out his stomach and causing him to vomit blood. Everyone's eyes widened as he gripped the blade, holding it in place as he finished his statement.

"I need...you to protect everyone. Can...can you do that?" he asked, blood leaking out of his mouth and down the front of his armor.

Ichigo nodded, Zangetsu in front of him a second later. "Bankai."

Black reiatsu tinged with red exploded out from him, and Ichigo was clad in Tensa Zangetsu's outfit, the chain wrapping around his arm and hanging from his shoulder.

"I'm ready, Yuuto-san." Ichigo declared. "Go for it."

Smiling, Yuuto's grip on the blade slackened, and he felt it ripped from his gut, causing him to spew more blood from his mouth. He could see the horrified faces of the Shinigami.

The worried looks of the captains, some with hands to their mouths in utter horror. If the Soutaichou was looking at him in such a way, he must really look like shit, he mused.

Noticing Hinamori next to Toshirou, he gave her a smile, even as blood slipped from his lips. "Don't worry, Momo-chan. I won't let him hurt you again. I promise."

Tears cascaded down her face, and Momo shook her head. "Don't worry about me! Worry about yourself, please! I...I don't want you to die, Yuuto-kun!"

Hitsugaya's eyes widened. He'd never heard Momo use -kun with anyone, even himself. Turning to the 5th Division Captain, he wondered just what kind of man could get Hinamori to like him THAT much in such a short period of time.

Yuuto nodded, and as Aizen brought his blood-soaked blade down again, he deflected it with his own. "Toshirou, if I don't make it-"

"DON'T SAY THAT, BAKA!" Toshirou yelled, surprising himself with his response.

Yuuto smiled. "If I don't make it, continue to take care of Momo-chan, okay?"

Reluctantly, he nodded. Grinning, Yuuto whipped around and carved a deep gash into Aizen's chest, blackish-crimson spraying outward from the wound.

"**Damn you!**" Aizen hissed. "**Why won't you just die?!**"

Yuuto gave him a look that could stop a speeding train instantly. "I can't die until I kill you first. It's nothing personal. I just don't like you."

Pointing his blade at Aizen, he began his counterattack.

"_**Bakudo no Rokujuuichi: Rikujokoro! (Bakudo #61: Six Light Rod Prison)**_" Aizen attempted to dodge, but found that the Bakudo struck true.

"**Impossible! How could you-**"

"Did you seriously think I could not see you or follow you with such slow movements as yours? Give me some credit." He continued with his assault. "_**Bakudo no Rokujuunii: Hyapporankan! (Bakudo #62: Hundred Rod Fence)**_"

Having been immobolized by the first Bakudo, Aizen could do nothing as the second one struck true, several rods slamming into his body and further immobilizing him.

Yuuto wasn't done. "_**Bakudo no Rokujuusan: Sajo Sabaku! (Bakudo #63: Locking Bondage Ropes)**_" Thick, yellow rope wrapped around Aizen, further restraining him.

"There, that should be enough." he sighed.

Aizen laughed. **"Truly you don't think this enough to stop me, I hope. This may delay me a minute or so, at the most."**

Yuuto nodded, sheathing his blade and putting his right hand on his left stump. "Yes, but it's enough time for me to restore my limb."

Aizen's eyes widened, understanding shone in his emotionless orbs. Then he began to struggle, knowing that his advantage over the man before him would be gone in a matter of seconds.

"_**Calling upon thy name, speaking softly, knocking surely, seeking an answer. The door opens, the call is answered, the response clear and precise. Knitting, mending, twisting and closing. Retrieve that which was taken. Restore that which was lost. Bakudo no Kyuujuuhachi: Unmei no Gyakuten! (Bakudo # 98: Reversal of Fate)**_"

As the bakudo began to work, Yuuto couldn't help but bite back a scream. The first part always hurt the most, as bone sprouted from his bloody stump of an arm, solidifying into a skeletal frame. Muscle came next and this hurt less than the bone, but still quite a lot. It wrapped itself around the bone, knitting and connecting to the various places it was designed to go. Finally, blood poured down the arm, but instead of falling off as gravity intended, it was caught in mid-air, and veins and arteries formed around it, encasing it and then tucking themselves in as skin and tissue began to grow over, forming a completely new appendage that looked identical to the previous one.

Groaning, he flexed it much as Aizen had done previously. Satisfied with his new limb, he turned towards Aizen.

Said man had already shattered Bakudo #61, broke Bakudo #62, and was in the process of tearing apart Bakudo #63, the rope barely holding on by a few strands of reishi. With a final grunt of effort, Aizen tore the final Bakudo apart, all three disintegrating back into nothing.

Sighing in spite of himself, Aizen looked at Yuuto. "**So, you managed to regrow your arm. Not many know of Bakudo #98, and even fewer know how to properly cast it. I take it you've had some experience with it?**"

Yuuto nodded. "You could say that. It's one of the supposed "Forbidden Kido", but it's only forbidden because it takes quite a lot of reiatsu to utilize. The pain of regrowing a lost limb alone would make it worthy of the Forbidden List, but it's the fatality rate of casters incorrectly using it which has caused it to be placed there."

Aizen nodded. "**You may not be a true master of Kido, but the ones you utilize you know a great deal of. I, as a fellow kido user and Kido Master, give you the respect that you deserve in that regard. I will say that I am impressed, greatly so, but that does not mean that you will win, especially in a contest of Kido. You may be an expert, but I am a master.**"

Yuuto shook his head. "You are certainly full of pleasantries, aren't you?"

Aizen grinned. "**Indeed, I am.**** However, I do not believe that in my current state, victory is a guaranteed thing. Therefore, I must take my leave. However, I will not leave without granting you and your...friends...a parting gift.**"

Grinning, Aizen pointed his hand at the crowd behind Yuuto. Ichigo immediately raised his blade, but Yuuto stepped in front of Aizen's hand.

"**Ahh, ever the valiant one, I see. Very well. I dare to assume that I will not be getting to them without getting past you, so I will make this a personal gift.**"

In the blink of an eye, Aizen appeared before Yuuto, his hand pressed against the man's armor.

"_**Hiryugekizokushintenraiho.**_"

Yuuto widened his eyes. "_A level eighty Kido with only the name!_" He had no time to put up Danku in a counter, and took the full brunt of the Kido, his flesh peeling and cracking as his armor all but disintegrated under the intense electrical blast. His silent scream of agony was visible to all, but he'd managed to throw up a Danku behind himself, shielding the crowd from the Level 88 Hado.

Grinning, Aizen snapped his fingers, and a Garganta tore itself open, sucking him into the black void and snapping shut before anyone could pursue him.

With Aizen gone, the Danku behind Yuuto shattered like glass, and the man fell to the plateau below, his form billowing smoke as he crashed to the earth.

Several figures were by his side in an instant, one of them Unohana Retsu. She didn't need her centuries of expert medical training to know he was in bad shape.

Yuuto was unconscious, having kept it long enough so he could maintain the barrier between his comrades and the destructive Kido. Once Aizen had left, he could let it go. When he did leave, so too did the last vestiges of his consciousness.

He was lucky. Most individuals that took a Level 80 Kido at point-blank range were nothing but a smear on the ground, afterwards. His saving grace was twofold:

He'd managed to brace himself a second before the attack hit, throwing up as much reiatsu as he possibly could before it hit him. This lessened his injuries somewhat, but not as much as it needed to.

Secondly, he'd been hit with a far weaker version of the spell. If it had been a full incantation, there would have been nothing left of him at all. Not only was it not a full incantation, but the classification and number were cut out, as well. This drastically reduced the power of the spell, making it only a 1/4th of the power it should have been.

Still, the fact that it was cast by a Kido Master, as well as the fact that it was a Greater Kido, led to some serious damage, regardless of whether the majority of the Kido was cut out or not.

He'd suffered 3rd degree burns over 70% of his body, the electricity turning his skin into brittle paper as the blast fried it and cooked his flesh. He had cut and stab wounds over 40% of his body, and several bruises adorning his features, as well.

The Hado had done some good, though, Unohana mused. It had cauterized all of his bleeding wounds. Normally, it would have only cauterized the external wounds, while the internal ones would have kept bleeding. However, since it was an electrical attack, the superheated energy arced across, around, and through his body, allowing any flowing wounds to coagulate.

Behind her, she could hear Hinamori's hysteric sobbing. She could already tell that the girl thought her former captain had killed her new captain in cold blood. And she was blaming herself for it.

As Unohana worked frantically to close wounds and stop any more from bleeding out, Ichigo cursed vehemently.

It was all their fault. Yuuto had not been able to fight at full strength because he'd been protecting them. "_We never should have followed them._" Ichigo thought, remembering his own fight with Aizen. He'd specifically removed himself and Aizen from the fight so as to not get his friends and family caught up in the crossfire. It allowed him to focus on the fight, and not on protecting.

"We screwed up bad." he said in a low voice. Rukia nodded, her eyes never leaving the prone figure before her.

"Yeah. We got involved when we shouldn't have, and Yuuto-san paid the price for our foolishness."

Ukitake was watching with a sad expression on his face. "Do you think he'll make it?"

Kyoraku pulled his hat down over his eyes. "I don't know, Ukitake. I know we fucked up big time, though. We were kids caught up in an adult fight. Judging by the power Aizen exhibited, he could have wiped any of us out had it not been for Kurosaki and Ishigawa-san."

Soifon was nearby, and heard all of what had been said. She bit her lip and curled her fists. She HATED being powerless, hated being useless. Overall, she hated being protected even more, because it implied that she wasn't strong enough to take care of herself.

The reality of the situation was not lost on her. She knew that she couldn't take on Aizen in a fight and win. She'd known that when she confronted him on Sokyouku Hill. However, she hadn't realized that she was THAT outclassed by the ex-captain. Had it not been for Yuuto...

Her eyes itched, and she rubbed them fiercely. No, she wasn't going to cry. He wasn't dead. _Yet_, she reminded herself. She could see Unohana remove the shattered remnants of his armor, and his torn body nearly made her vomit.

Blood, skin, shredded tissue, and bone were all visible, and it took all of Unohana's willpower to not shy away from the mortally injured man. Behind her, she could hear several individuals were not as strong, and retching noises could be heard around her. She quickly set about putting his shattered ribcage back together, careful not to touch any of his exposed organs.

Once they were healed and good as new, she set about making sure his innards were back in place. Most were, but a few had been moved by the blast. Yet another stroke of luck, none of his internal organs were badly damaged, so the one or two that were injured were quickly healed.

Next, she focused on his rapidly dwindling blood supply, molding reishi out of the air and flooding his system with it, allowing it to enter his blood stream, then converting it to the red blood cells he so desperately needed.

Then, she set about cleansing the wound, making sure any traces of taint were removed, and started closing the gaping hole in his chest and abdomen. Sweat poured profusely down her face, but she'd managed to knit the flesh together and succeeded in closing it. While Yuuto was not in danger of dying, he was nowhere near out of the woods, and would need constant monitoring for the next week or so.

But he was alive.

Sighing, Unohana nearly collapsed on her butt, having used nearly all of her strength to keep the man alive. Isane was by her side, and managed to catch the unsteady captain, helping her to sit down and rest.

Yamamoto appeared next to the group, and for the first time in centuries, no one stood at attention upon him entering a group or building. Had this been under different circumstances, he may have wondered what could possess them to do such a thing, but their savior had nearly died, so he would have no qualms about letting this one slide.

"Unohana-taichou, have you successfully managed to save Ishigawa-taichou?" he asked. His tone of voice did not come across as a command, merely a question regarding an injured individual.

Smiling, Unohana nodded, causing several shoulders to relax as tension was released. "Hai. He's not in danger of dying, but he is still in critical condition. One does not take a Level 88 Hado to the chest and walk away without a scratch, Soutaichou-dono."

Yamamoto nodded. "Very well. Kotetsu-fukataichou."

Isane leapt to her feet. "Hai?"

"Take as many squad members as you need, but see to it that Ishigawa-taichou is taken to the 4th Division's Red Wing, and placed under the best care possible."

Isane nodded, and her and several members of the 4th Division lifted Yuuto onto a portable stretcher, then took off for the Red Wing, which was only used for patients with life-threatening injuries.

Hinamori wanted to follow them. She really did. But she knew that in the aftermath of this terrific incident, the squads needed to be put back under control, and with her captain incapacitated, she was the temporary leader once again.

Yamamoto slammed his cane down onto the rubble, getting everyone's attention. "Former Gobantai Taichou Sosuke Aizen has once more escaped from Soul Society. His capture and execution is our top priority. Each squad will devote its' full resources to this cause, unless directed otherwise. Dismissed!"

Most of the Shinigami left with a chorus of, "Hai, Soutaichou-dono!", yet several stayed behind for multiple reasons.

Kyoraku and Ukitake stepped forward and regarded Yamamoto. "Sensei, I heard what you just said, but in reality, what can we really do about Aizen?"

"Ukitake has a point, Yama-jii. He's far more powerful than all of us, save Kurosaki and Ishigawa. I doubt even you could take him down."

Yamamoto regarded his two students with steady eyes. "We will do what we have always done. We will do what the Gotei Juusantai have stood for for over a thousand years. We will defend Soul Society and the Human World from the threat that Sosuke Aizen poses. If need be, we will lay down our lives for this cause."

Ukitake nodded, and for once, Kyoraku didn't talk back. He also merely nodded, and the two disappeared in a swish of Shunpo.

Unohana made it to her feet, and gave the Captain-Commander a smile. "I will be heading back to check up on Yuuto-san."

For once, the old man's visage showed concern. "Do not strain yourself, Unohana-taichou. If Yuuto-san takes a turn for the worst, we will need your expertise to keep him alive."

She nodded, and Shunpo removed her from the scene, as well.

Turning, Yamamoto regarded Soifon. "Do you have something to add, Soifon-taichou."

Blinking, she regarded Yamamoto. "I-uh...er, I mean yes, Soutaichou-dono. I wish to personally guard Yuu-Ishigawa-san as he recovers from his injuries."

THIS threw Yamamoto for a loop. Since when had Soifon taken an interest in the new captain? "May I inquire as to why?"

He could have imagined it, but he swore by his finely-kept beard that he saw the Niibantai-taichou blush. It was gone as quick as it had come, though, and he dismissed it as a trick of the light.

"My position as the leader of the Stealth Force shows that I am more than capable of detecting an assassination attempt, as well as having the rank of captain allowing me to better protect him should he come under attack."

"Your ability to protect was not under question, Soifon-taichou. Merely, I ask this in regards to the reason why we would need you to protect him in the first place?"

"Because...I feel he needs my assistance, sir."

Never one to argue with Soifon's feelings, as she had proven them correct time and time again, he nodded. "Very well. I will allow this on the condition that you also carry out your duties as the captain of the 2nd Division."

Soifon bowed, straightening only to nod. "Hai. If you will excuse me."

Before he could say anything, she was gone in a flash of Shunpo.

Yamamoto blinked, something he didn't do often. "_That...was rather unusual. I suppose today will be full of surprises._"

He regarded the remaining individuals: Hinamori Momo, Rukia Kuchiki, Kurosaki Ichigo, Hitsugaya Toshirou, and Abarai Renji.

"Abarai-fukataichou, you may head back to your Division. We will need you and Kuchiki-taichou to help coordinate an effective means of counterattack."

"Hai, Soutaichou-dono." Renji saluted him, before vanishing, as well.

"Kuchiki-fukataichou, the same goes for you. Report to your Division to assist Ukitake-taichou."

Rukia looked torn. "But..."

Ichigo put a hand on her head. "Don't worry. We've got it under control. Yuuto-san will be fine."

Sighing, she nodded, and left.

Turning to Hinamori, Yamamoto began. "Hinamori-fukataichou-"

"No."

Completely unprepared, Yamamoto opened his eyes. Toshirou thought he was going to have a heart attack when he heard Hinamori disobey the Captain-Commander. Even Ichigo was caught off-guard.

"Respectfully, Soutaichou-dono, I cannot abandon my captain to a hospital bed. I feel as though I would be best served by his side."

"This is not up for debate, Hinamori-fukataichou. You are needed in your Division-"

"I can manage my-Yuuto-san's Division from the hospital, just as Soifon-taichou can manage hers."

Once more cut off, Yamamoto didn't quite expect such resistance from the normally shy, quiet girl before him. What's more, he'd had his own words used against him, and she'd only disrespected him in the fact that she'd interrupted him twice.

"Hinamori-fukataichou..." he sighed. '_I'm too old for this.' "_Can I count on you to be able to maintain your Division via the location of the hospital as promised?"

Her eyes lit up, and Yamamoto thought she was going to squeal like a schoolgirl for a second. "HAI, SOUTAICHOU-DONO!" She was gone as soon as the words left her mouth, and both Hitsugaya and Yamamoto could only stand there in stunned silence.

"_This day just keeps getting stranger and stranger."_ Yamamoto mused.

"_I can't believe Momo likes that guy! I'm happy for her, but this is so sudden!"_ contemplated Hitsugaya.

Both were snapped out of their thoughts by Ichigo. "Gramps, do you have anything else for us?"

Yamamoto cleared his throat. "Ahh, yes. Hitsugaya-taichou, you are to go with Kurosaki Ichigo to Ukitake-taichou's office. You two seem to get along well together, and both of you are rather intelligent. Kurosaki may be able to glean a thing or two from you both."

A tick developed on Ichigo's forehead, and he resisted the urge to shout. "Ossan, that's not funny."

Yamamoto surprised them by laughing, sporting a grin that put Mayuri to shame. "Really? Well, I thought it was hilarious."

Before they could question his sanity, he vanished in a nearly silent Shunpo.

Both of them turned to one another.

"What in the hell-" Ichigo began.

Toshirou put up a hand, stopping him. "Don't. That was the creepiest grin I've ever seen. Ever. I don't want to know what was behind that grin. Let's go." With that, he began walking away, forcing Ichigo to catch up.

_**Chapter 7 is done, and that's the first major fight in the story. Aizen is BACK (if you haven't noticed by the last chapter), and he's packing some serious firepower. This is just the tip of the iceberg, though, so there will be much more...surprises...to come.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8: Recoup and Recovery**_

True to their words, both Hinamori and Soifon kept their respective divisions in order. Any paperwork that required their attention was delivered to their offices, then forwarded to the hospital room that Yuuto was occupying. As such, two desks had been temporarily added to the room, turning an already cramped living area into...well, a much more cramped living area.

While the hospital staff were not quite approving of the new furniture decorating the room, they were not in any position to debate it. Soifon was rather...outspoken whenever it came to the topic of her protection of the 5th Division captain. People quickly learned to simply not talk about it or, if the topic did come up, to find any means necessary in order to drop it.

Hinamori was of a similar position regarding leaving Yuuto's bedside. The two women had not left his room unless it was of the utmost importance. Soifon had even considered skipping the emergency captain's meeting 9 days ago. Unfortunately, the attendance was mandatory, and even Zaraki, who rarely came to the meetings, showed up. So, she had no choice but to attend.

* * *

_Flashback_

_In the well-known hall of the 1st Division, the emergency captain's meeting was already starting, and every captain in Seireitei, save one, was in attendance._

_Wasting no time, Yamamoto got straight to the point. "As you all may be aware, Sosuke Aizen, ex-captain of the 5th Division, traitor to Soul Society, and convicted criminal, has escaped his confinement, gravely injured one of our captains, and has fled to Hueco Mundo, quite possibly to utilize the power of the Hogyouku to resurrect his Arrancar army and create new Espada to replace the ones lost in the Winter War."_

_With everyone's nod of understanding (Zaraki's grunt non-withstanding), he continued. "Some of you may not be aware of this, but Ishigawa Yuuto, captain of the 5th Division, was able to fight on par with Sosuke Aizen, a feat that only Shinigami Daiko Kurosaki Ichigo has been capable of."_

_This got several nods, as most captains had been present at the fight. Unfortunately, Zaraki, with his horrible sense of direction, had completely missed the entire event, so this was news to him._

"_Hahahaha! So he's THAT strong, eh? What I would give to be able to go a round with him!" he crowed._

_Unohana rounded on the 11th Division captain so fast, most had only time to blink._

"_Zaraki-taichou, I will like to inform you now that there will be no attempt at challenging a patient in my personal care. His wounds are grave, and any undue stress could very well harm him further. I will not permit such a thing to occur. Am I clear on this?"_

_All of this she had spoken with that eerily serene smile on her face, her eyes closed and resembling the late Ichimaru Gin. Zaraki, ever the man of action, actually paled and nodded._

"_Hai."_

_The evil aura that had permeated the room dissipated in an instant, and she smiled warmly at him. "Good. I'm glad to hear that we're on the same page."_

_Zaraki shook his head. '_Out of everyone her, she's the only one that truly scares me.'

_Slamming his cane down, Yamamoto regained the attention of the room. "As such, we will have no choice but to wait until Ishigawa-taichou is fully recovered before we can launch a counter-offensive. In the meanwhile, we will plan our course of action, and take appropriate measures to keep Karakura Town safe. If I have to guess, I'd assume that Aizen's ambitions have not changed, and his ultimate goal is to use Karakura to create the Oken."_

"_If this occurs, not only will many lives be lost, but the very structure of Soul Society will be in jeopardy. Should Aizen succeed in killing the Spirit King, the foundation that has supported Soul Society for thousands of years will crumble, and the world as we know it will fall apart at the seams."_

"_Therefore, it is my opinion that we should strike while the iron is hot. We will not allow Aizen the opportunity to rebuild his army. We have learned from our mistakes in the past, and will not repeat them."_

_Yamamoto turned to Mayuri. "Kurosutchi-taichou, you will reconstruct the fake Karakura Town, and we will once more swap the real for the fake. Should Aizen manage to make it to the real world, we'll need another obstacle for him to overcome."_

_The scientist nodded, and Yamamoto turned to Zaraki. "As loath as I am to admit this, you will be required to aid whomever we send to Hueco Mundo. You will be part of the original strike force that we will assemble."_

_The cackling laughter had Yamamoto immediately regret his decision, but he knew it was necessary._

_He regarded Shunsui and Jushiro. "You two will remain in the real Karakura as our last line of defense. Should all else fail, you two will be responsible for protecting the lives of the citizens of Karakura."_

_Kyoraku groaned. "Yare, yare. No pressure, ne, Yama-jii?"_

_Ukitake refrained from elbowing Shunsui. "We will do all we can, Sensei."_

_Nodding, Yamamoto turned to the gathered room. "Myself, Komamura-taichou, Hitsugaya-taichou, Soifon-taichou, and Kurosutchi-taichou will be stationed in the fake Karakura Town, our second line of defense should Aizen survive the initial strike force."_

_Under his breath, Zaraki mumbled. "Not if I have anything to say about it."_

"_Kuchiki-taichou, Kenpachi-taichou, Unohana-taichou, and Ishigawa-taichou will be leading the strike force to engage and eliminate Sosuke Aizen, and any Arrancar he may have already created."_

"_Joining the strike force will be Shinigami Daiko Kurosaki Ichigo, Kuchiki-fukataichou, Abarai-fukataichou, Matsumoto-fukataichou, 3rd Seat Madarame, and 5th Seat Ayasegawa."_

"_The remaining forces at our disposal will be separated between the fake Karakura, the real Karakura, and Soul Society, as we cannot leave it completely unprotected."_

"_These are the orders of the Soutaichou. See to it that they are carried out swiftly and justly!"_

_Slamming his cane once more, Yamamoto ended the meeting. Soifon let her feet carry her immediately towards the doorway, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder._

"_Soifon-taichou, a moment if you will."_

_Turning, she regarded Hitsugaya with a quirked eyebrow. "I suppose I can spare a moment. What is on your mind, Hitsugaya-taichou?"_

_Nodding, he left the meeting room with Soifon, keeping stride with her as he spoke. "I am concerned about Hinamori."_

_Soifon nodded. "As usual."_

_Sighing, Hitsugaya shook his head. "No, it's different this time. I...I think she's falling in love, again."_

_Soifon's eyes widened. "Really?"_

_He nodded. "Yes, and I'm not sure if she's emotionally stable enough to be romantically involved with someone."_

_She nodded. The last person she'd been romantically interested in had tried to kill her, not once but twice. "That is an understandable concern."_

_Hitsugaya rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What I'm trying to ascertain is whether I should interfere, or let this run its' course. I was hoping you could assist me in making my decision."_

_Soifon blinked. "Why me, if I may ask? Wouldn't Kyoraku-taichou, Ukitake-taichou, or even Unohana-taichou be better suited for such a question?"_

_Hitsugaya nodded. "In some aspect, you are correct. However, I cannot trust Kyoraku-taichou, as he is...well, he's a womanizer." She nodded at this. "Ukitake-taichou is much too busy at the moment, and the same goes with Unohana-taichou, as she is currently healing Ishigawa-taichou. Therefore, the next best person to ask would be you, as you would see it from a logical and unbiased point of view."_

_Soifon felt a small smile come to her face. "It makes me happy that you have such faith in my judgment. Very well, I will assist you if I can. Who is the person you believe Hinamori is infatuated with?"_

_Toshirou seemed to sigh even harder. "This seems like deja-vu all over again, but I believe she's in love with Yuuto-san."_

_Soifon nearly tripped on air, but managed to regain her stride. This was not unnoticed. "You okay?"_

_She nodded, a bit too quickly for Toshirou's taste. "_Could I have stumbled upon something? Her reaction was not something I was expecting. Surprise, yes, but not this level of it. Curious..."

_Soifon's mind was running circles. "_Hinamori-san...loves Yuuto-kun? Why haven't I noticed this?" _She cursed her lack of attention. As the commander of the Stealth Forces (what was left of them after Aizen decimated their ranks), she should have picked up on the subtle signs._

_Whenever Yuuto was brought up in a topic, she'd blush and say how she was so lucky to have him as a captain. That right there should have been a dead giveaway. Yet she was too busy being infatuated with him herself to notice. How sloppy, she thought._

"_W-well, if she IS in love with him, I don't see how that can be an issue."_

_Apparently, that was not what Hitsugaya was expecting, because he rounded on her so quickly that she had to stop to avoid colliding with him, shock clearly evident on his face._

"_Not a problem?! Who are you, and where is the real Soifon-taichou?"_

"_I AM the real Soifon, baka!"_

_Seeing her typical reaction, she noticed his posture relax. "Good. For a second, I thought you'd been replaced by a Yoruichi clone."_

_Normally, the very mention of 'Yoruichi-sama' would get Soifon all hot under the collar, but for some reason, it didn't this time. It only served to get her irritated. "What's that supposed to entail, Hitsugaya-taichou?"_

_Toshirou palmed his face. "Nothing. Now, why do you not think it a problem?"_

_Accepting the change in topic, Soifon nodded. "From what I've seen, Yu-Ishigawa-taichou is a kind, caring, and selfless individual, who looks out for and treats Hinamori kindly."_

"_Aizen did the exact same things, and he ended up betraying the whole of Soul Society." Hitsugaya pointed out._

_Even as he continued, Soifon had to resist the urge to criticize Toshirou for even thinking Yuuto would turn traitor. Stamping the urge down, she listened. "I'm not saying that Yuuto-san is similar to Aizen. In fact, I think he's the exact opposite of Aizen. But I'm just..."_

_Soifon smiled again. "You're mother-hen'ing her." At his confused look, she elaborated. "You're overly concerned about her well-being. She's had a couple of rough spots in her life, and you're being overly protective to prevent her from suffering any more than she already has."_

_He sighed. "I...I suppose you're right. I just can't help it. I don't want her to get hurt like that again. The look in her eyes..." He frowned, as if remembering the desperate look she wore as she pleaded Aizen's case with him, sure that Ichimaru was forcing him to do the cruel and terrible things he'd done._

"_I suppose I can understand what you're saying. Smothering her with protection, however, will do no one any good, least of all Hinamori-san. I would recommend talking to her, and getting her opinion on the situation."_

_He nodded, and she began to walk away. But not before a parting remark._

"_Trust a woman's heart, Toshirou. They're very rarely wrong."_

_Before he could ask what she meant by that, she was gone in a flash of Shunpo._

"_Hmph. She says it almost as if she..."_

_His eyes widening, he then chuckled to himself. "I suppose I DID ask the right person, after all."_

* * *

Since then, she'd been keeping an eye on Hinamori, and had noticed the obvious signs that she'd all but ignored before.

The way she rearranged his covers as he slept.

The way she talked to him as though he could hear her.

The way she smiled brighter than any other time when she was near him.

The way she would constantly make physical contact with him, even if it was just holding his hand.

All of these signs pointed to something more than mere friendship or companionship. They definitely pointed in the direction of romantic feelings, yet Soifon didn't want to admit that.

Admitting that only made the ache in her heart bigger.

She now had competition! She couldn't even believe she'd thought such a thing. She'd just readily assumed that she would be the only one interested in his smiles, his candid attitude, his no-nonsense approach to serious matters. All of this and more were things that attracted her to him, seemingly from day one.

She'd initially assumed he'd turn out like Amagai Shusuke: A man out for his own agenda. A man with his own goals in mind, and captainship of the 5th Division was just a stepping stone to a greater plan.

However, as each day passed, she'd found that she could not sense any ulterior motive behind his actions. Amagai had felt...tense, even when he'd act like he was calm and relaxed. He was always on guard, and even his jokes seemed half-hearted.

With Yuuto, he never half-assed anything. He always put his best foot forward, even if he was making a casual remark to an unseated officer.

She remembered what finally solidified her attraction in the man.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Soifon had been scolding Omaeda, her incompetent lieutenant having once again failed a simple retrieval mission. She SERIOUSLY wanted him gone, but his money helped fund the 2nd Division, and in return he got to be her lieutenant. The only reason he wasn't a captain was there were special requirements for captainship, and he possessed none of them, which she was certain he never would. Apparently, money could only get you so far._

"_Now, for the last time, I would seriously consider losing some weight, wearing the traditional lieutenant's uniform, and actually training instead of loafing around like the fat tub of lard you are!" she roared, her fists making the desk beneath her creak in vehement protest._

"_W-what the hell? Where do you get off on calling me that?" stuttered Omaeda, struggling to put together some sort of defense for his actions._

"_I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true!" she countered, and he cringed as he saw her glare intensify._

_There was a knock at the door, and she blinked, anger momentarily forgotten. She'd asked for no one, hadn't requested an audience, and if it was a messenger, they'd have simply appeared before her, knowing she needed to hear whatever they carried._

_Sighing, she flopped back into her chair. "Come in."_

_The door opened, and the new captain of Squad 5 entered, a sheepish smile on his face._

"_Gomen, I heard shouting. Is everything alright?"_

_Huffing, she gestured to Omaeda. "No. This man is my lieutenant, so everything is not alright."_

_Said man rounded on her. "OI, I have a reputation to maintain, and disrespecting me in front of the new captain is not helping!"_

_Scoffing, she leveled a disapproving look at him. "If you cared half as much about training as you do your appearance around the Gotei Juusantai, you'd be the Soutaichou in a week."_

_Omaeda was about to retort, but he felt a hand on his shoulder._

"_You know, your captain only has your best interests at heart. She is strict because she wants to see you succeed in your endeavors. I bet that if you put your heart into it, you can get stronger in no time. As an added benefit, training would help you lose weight, and you would end up needing more form-fitting clothes, too."_

_Blinking, Omaeda's face assumed the appeareance of a man who'd found the light switch in a dark room. "Oh! I see. You're right!"_

_Soifon's eyes widened. Since when did Omaeda take advice? Normally, he'd tell the person to shove off, or something to that extent._

_Watching him thank the new captain and bound out of the room (he even thanked her for his time before leaving!), she could only sit in her chair in slack-jawed amazement._

"_What the hell did you DO to him?"_

_Cocking his head, Yuuto blinked. "What do you mean?"_

_She chuckled. "Normally, he'd tell you to go fuck yourself, and go on about how much better he was than everyone else simply because he had money. But that didn't happen this time. What gives?"_

_Yuuto laughed. "Nothing. It's rather simple. You just need to convey the information you wish to relay to someone in a manner that they can understand and interpret. By combining three separate ideals into one task, it makes the job seem that much simpler, and will motivate the less motivated to action."_

_Soifon shook her head. "If I'd known it was that simple, I'd have done it ages ago. You gotta teach me how to trick-er, I mean help him."_

_Yuuto caught her slip-up, and his roaring laughter caused her to smile softly._

* * *

Now, as he lay comatose in a hospital bed, she smiled softly. "You better get better soon, baka. I have to tell you about Omaeda's recent weight loss."

"Really? I thought he looked thinner at the lieutenant's meeting. So I WAS right!"

Soifon was startled out of her reverie by Momo. The girl was smiling brightly as she looked between her and Yuuto.

"How is he?" she asked.

Shaking her head, Soifon turned to his prone form. "No change."

The smile faltered, and she nodded. "I see." Sitting down opposite from Soifon, she propped her sword against the wall, and Soifon couldn't help but notice the way she grasped his hand lovingly, stroking the back side with her thumb.

"Taichou, we are all here and we miss you very much. I-we're waiting for you, Taichou, so please come back to us...please."

Soifon's thoughts were interrupted by a rather loud knock on the door, followed by it being thrown open.

"Where is he?! I swear to Kami if I find him-"

"BAKA, what the hell is wrong with you, Renji?!"

Said redhead was currently fuming, his eyes wide and posture rigid as he, apparently, went from room to room looking for...someone, as the two girls had no idea who it could be.

That was rectified seconds later.

"If I find Ichigo, I'll take that butcher knife of his and SHOW him how to use it!"

Unfortunately (or rather humorously, depending on your take of the situation) Rukia was clinging to Renji's legs, trying to stop the one-man wrecking crew. Sadly, her small frame worked against her, and she was being dragged across the floor by the much larger man.

"Renji, he didn't force me to do it! If anything, I forced him!

THIS remark got immediate attention, as Momo and Soifon's eyes widened, and Renji stopped cold in his rampage. He rounded on her immediately, and pulled her to her feet, his arms shaking her like a rag doll.

"Say it isn't true! He forced you! Say it! SAY IT, RUKIA!"

Said girl could only flop around like a fish as he continued to shake her. Soifon's temper was quickly rising at the insane antics of the 6th Division fukataichou. Momo was trying to keep her laughter down, but her snickers seemed to still carry volume.

Dropping poor, dazed Rukia to the floor, Renji pointed an accusing finger at Momo. "YOU! What's so funny? There's nothing funny about Ichigo taking advantage of my poor, sweet Rukia."

"Where in the HELL did you get 'poor' and 'sweet' from, Renji?"

The red head rounded on the man of his ire, and leapt at him like a wild beast. "HAVE AT THEE, HEATHEN!"

A foot to his face sent him groaning to the ground, and Ichigo scratched the back of his head in annoyance. "Damn it. You're starting to act like my father, and THAT is just wrong."

Rukia's eyes brightened upon seeing the strawberry, and she latched onto him without hesitation.

"When did you get back?"

"Just now. I was going to check up on Yuuto-san, then I heard this guy" he poked Renji with his foot "rambling about how I'd practically forced you into kissing me. I had flashbacks of my dad, and reacted."

Rukia shivered when she recalled his father. The man was an overall nice fellow, but by Kami did he give her the creeps. The oversized Masaki poster he constantly cried to/over did not help that feeling, nor did his goings on about Ichigo giving him grandchildren.

That particular topic had caused more than one 'Kurosaki Nightly Family Free-For-All', as Isshin put it, and while Ichigo typically won, that didn't make it any better. Having a full-grown man suddenly dive over the table to punch you in the face typically got a person hot under the collar. It didn't help any that he would then wrap you in a half-nelson, drag you over the food-covered table, and proceed to yell at you how you let your guard down simply because you were a normal person who actually expected to have a quiet, peaceful meal in the comfort of your own home.

Naturally, the response to that was a swift kick to the face, followed by a 15 minute all out romp in the living room, which ended with Isshin flying out the window, and Ichigo locking the door. When said boy discovered his father attempting to climb in through the broken window (they went through glass like Yachiru through candy), a kick to the gonads usually ended their impromptu brawl...at least until dinner was over.

Yuzu and Rukia would do the dishes, while Isshin would sob to his wife's poster, claiming innocence and begging for her to guide him in raising his children. Karin would kick him in the head, and Ichigo would toss him in the broom closet, which had actually been cleaned out specifically for this purpose.

This became almost a daily ritual, to the point that Ichigo was willing to give nearly anything to get ONE normal day to himself.

Unfortunately, Kami was not taking requests at the time, so Ichigo was privy to having a new pain in his side: Renji.

"For the LAST FRICKIN' TIME, I DID NOT SLEEP WITH HER!" he roared, hurling Renji out a nearby window. Unlike when he hurled his father out the window, this one was on the third story. So Ichigo got the satisfaction of hearing Renji's startled gasp, followed by his fading scream as he plummeted to the ground below. The sickening _THUD_ that followed could have been a composition by Beethoven himself, as it was such sweet music to his ears.

"Oi, can you assholes keep it down?! Some injured parties are trying to recover here."

"Yuuto-san, I-" Ichigo stopped dead as his brain registered the owner of said voice.

Whirling around, his huge grin was quickly replaced by a confused frown, as he spotted Yuuto being smothered to death by two women.

Hinamori, he could understand. He was her captain, plus she obviously had feelings for the man. What threw him for a loop was the way Soifon was clinging to his neck like a woman possessed.

"So, did you bag the bunny yet, Kurosaki?"

Yuuto's face splitting grin snapped both Rukia, who'd been peering out the broken window to check on Renji, and Ichigo to attention.

"WHAT?!"

"HE HASN'T YET!"

Both faces were already red, but when Rukia's words registered, Yuuto was afraid they'd pass out.

His laughter was cut short by a squeeze to his neck, and he turned his head to regard the women who'd all but plastered themselves to his frame.

"Hello, Momo-chan. Miss me?"

She sniffed, and nodded.

Turning, his eyes widened slightly as he took in the form of a blushing Soifon.

"Soifon-taichou, to what do I owe this unexpected but pleasant visit?"

Her blush deepened, and she buried her face into his neck.

"Shut up, baka. Just...just let me hold you, okay. You scared us...you scared me."

His face softened, and he placed a kiss on her forehead, causing her to blush even heavier.

"Ahh, gomen. I didn't mean to worry anyone."

"Yuuto-san."

"Ye-"

His words were cut off as Momo pressed her lips to his, shocking him deeply as she kissed him for all she was worth. His muffled shout of surprise was enough to get Soifon to look up. She gasped, then her eyes hardened.

"Hinamori."

Said girl broke away from Yuuto, who had a dazed look on his face, and turned to Soifon.

"Make sure you share with your superiors."

Her surprise was quickly multiplied when Soifon grabbed Yuuto's face and pulled him in for a searing kiss.

Once again, he was shocked. Just like with Hinamori, he was able to kiss back, but his surprise was still evident in his face.

"Ohoho, this is great. Blackmail. I love it."

Yuuto looked over, and saw Ichigo wearing what he could only describe as an evil grin on his face.

Unceremoniously breaking away from Soifon, he sat up in his bed rather suddenly. "Ichigo, I swear to KAMI if you-"

He cringed and grasped his side, a pained gasp tearing itself from his teeth.

Ichigo's grin disappeared, and he and Rukia were by his side in seconds.

Rukia pushed on his shoulder. "Take it easy. You just woke up. You were badly hurt."

Everyone present nodded, and Ichigo continued where Rukia left off. "If it weren't for Unohana-san, you could have died."

Yuuto, though clearly pained, scoffed. "As if. I'm much tougher than you give me credit for, Ichigo."

"But you can't simply shrug off a point-blank Hado #88, Ishigawa-taichou."

Hearing a new voice, the group turned to regard Unohana, her eerie smile already in place.

As she walked forward, Ichigo and company parted quickly, and Yuuto was left to face her alone.

_'Traitors.'_

"I'm glad to see you awake and eager to get back to work, but Kurosaki-san and Rukia-fukataichou were correct. You suffered grievous wounds to your internal and external self. Had I not been there, you very likely would have succumb to them."

Yuuto looked like he wanted to retort, but he merely bit his lip and nodded. Ichigo knew what he was going to say, and he somewhat agreed with it. Had none of them been there, Yuuto could have fought all out, and would have stood a much better chance of coming out the victor. With spectators and possible hostages in the area, his power was cut in half, as he had to try and protect not only himself, but everyone around him, as well.

"So, while you may have your paperwork delivered here, I will be expecting your full and utmost cooperation while we help you heal your injuries. Is that okay with you, Ishigawa-taichou?"

Her question, while still a question, was more of an ultimatum: Stay in bed, or I'll break your legs so you can't leave. Your choice.

Gulping, Yuuto nodded. Unohana gave him a real smile this time, and patted his leg before leaving.

"It's good to have you back with us, Yuuto-san."

Yuuto looked around him as Unohana left.

"Yeah, it's good to be back."

_**Chapter 8, done! Working on Chapter 9 now, and should have it ready to go soon. Comment, rate, review, etc. Whatever tickles your fancy. As long as you enjoy the story, that's what matters.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9: Working Out the Kinks**_

"C'mon, guys. I'd thought you'd been training all this time to defeat Aizen, and this is the best you can show for it?" taunted Yuuto, his sword in a laid-back guard as he faced his opponents.

Renji was panting heavily, using his sword more as a crutch than a weapon at this point. Toshirou wasn't faring much better, the ice stars overhead all but gone, his Bankai barely holding together. Soifon was not as winded, but still sucking air. Rukia was nearly dead from exhaustion, adopting a posture similar to Renji's as she supported herself with her sword.

Off to the side, Ichigo shook his head. "Yuuto-san, don't be so hard on them. If this keeps up, they'll pass out."

Yuuto snorted, sheathing his sword. "Fine. No blade. Kido only, and I'll even stick to the Lesser Kido."

Rukia merely flopped to the ground, her legs finally giving out on her. "That's it. No...no more. I'm done."

Yuuto shrugged, and looked about the group. Renji shortly followed Rukia, his knees too wobbly to support his frame.

That left the two captains, and Toshirou looked on his last legs, also. Soifon seemed to be doing the best out of all of them, but not by much. Her Stealth Forces training had proven invaluable thus far, as it was her incredible speed that allowed her to keep up with him to a point.

"Well, two down, and two to go. Rukia, Renji. Consider yourselves dead. Aizen would dispose of you two with little to no effort."

Growling, Renji glared at the man. "So what? You lost to him too, remember?"

The air became rather still, and all eyes were on Renji. Some couldn't believe he'd be so insensitive as to bring up a topic still fresh in everyone's mind. Others couldn't believe he didn't remember that he'd protected the lot of them from a Level 80 Hado while he was getting fried by said spell.

Soifon had the urge to stab him, but stamped it down. "Abarai-fukataichou, if you're so discontent with the way Yuuto-san is handling this, what do you suggest we do?"

Suddenly put on the spot, Renji scratched his head. When no response was forthcoming, Soifon snorted. "As I suspected. If you haven't a better idea on how to gauge our strengths, I suggest you shut up and follow Yuuto-san's lead."

Soifon had taken to referring to Yuuto by his first name, a change that had not gone entirely unnoticed.

"Just because you li-"

"SHUT IT, ABARAI!"

Yuuto clapped his hands, getting their attention. "Oi, oi, that's enough out of you two. Renji, I'm not doing this for kicks and giggles. I don't claim this out of arrogance, but if it were just Aizen and me, in his current state, I could eventually defeat him. I will admit that the presence of spectators...hindered me in a way I had not anticipated. However, the important thing is that no lives were lost, and I consider that a win in my book."

Renji nodded solemnly, and Soifon puffed her chest out slightly.

"_Damn straight. That's how my man-wait...MY man? Since when-_"

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a rustling in the bushes.

They had specifically come to this remote location far away from the bustling crowds of Seireitei so they could train in peace and quiet. More importantly, if something blew up, it would most likely be a tree or a rock, and there would be no unnecessary collateral damage.

Making her way through the bushes, Momo poked her head out from behind a tree.

"Ano...Yuuto-taichou?"

Said man turned to her. "Yes, Momo?"

She blushed as he used her name with no suffix, but continued. "I was wondering...if you wouldn't mind letting me join?"

Yuuto quirked his eyebrow. "Really? But I train with you almost on a daily basis in the barracks."

Several eyes widened at this revelation, and Renji's brain was the first down the gutter.

"Train? What do you mean, 'train'? I thought that those types of relationships were forbid-"

A rock to his forehead had Renji seeing stars, and Yuuto huffed. "What the hell, Abarai? I said training, not 'a romp in the sheets'. For the love of God..."

Both Momo and Soifon blushed heavily at the mental imagery that assaulted them, and Soifon covered her nose to stop the bleeding that began.

Ichigo saw this and snickered. Yuuto rounded on him. "What is so funny? I find nothing in this situation even SLIGHTLY amusing!"

Ichigo shook his head, his grin still plastered on his face. "Nothing! It's nothing. I just thought of a joke Keigo told me the other day." Rukia knew this was not the case, but wasn't about to throw Ichigo under the bus...at least, not yet.

Shaking his head, Yuuto heaved a sigh. "Well, if you want to, I'm not about to tell you otherwise."

Clapping her hands in glee, Momo hopped over to stand between Toshirou and Soifon.

"Isn't this great? Personal training with Yuuto-kun! You guys are so lucky!"

Toshirou rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Lucky me."

Soifon merely kept her mouth shut and nodded, afraid her voice would betray her inner thoughts.

Popping his shoulders, Yuuto kept his arms at his sides. "Alright, let's resume. Remember, I will only utilize Lesser Kido, but I may switch it up with Greater Bakudo from time to time. Stay on your toes, guys."

* * *

_**One week later...**_

Yuuto, looking no worse for wear, was leaning against a tree as Renji, Rukia, Momo, Toushirou, and Soifon managed to get air into their lungs, the day's training over. Secretly, all were hoping that Yuuto had been going tough on them, but a sneaking suspicion told them that he'd done the exact opposite, and that unnerved the lot of them.

"S-so...what...do you think...of our progress...so far, taichou?" heaved Momo, managing to get herself into a sitting position.

"Y-yeah. Surely we're stronger by now." growled Renji, his whole body sore and giving him an attitude to boot.

Yuuto opened his eyes and cracked a smile. "Yes, you five HAVE gotten stronger. There can be no doubt of that."

Beaming smiles went all around the group, but before they could celebrate, he cleared his throat, getting their attention.

"However..." he began, and Renji groaned, flopping on the ground.

"Don't say it...for the love of Kami, don't say it."

"You still have a ways to go."

Roaring to his feet, Renji stormed over and grabbed Yuuto by his robes, hoisting him to his feet and slamming him against the tree. Rukia and Toushiro blanched, while Momo cried out for Renji to stop. Soifon merely tried to keep her eyes in her head at the fukataichou's brazen and foolish attempt at what she could only assume was a tough-guy act.

"Now you listen here, you pompous ass! I've been training my ASS off for the past week, doing EVERYTHING you've said, and you have the GALL to say I'm still weaker than that fucknut Aizen?! And what about YOU?! What about YOUR weaknesses?! Maybe if YOU were stronger, you would have killed the bastard before he got awa-"

_*SLAP*_

Releasing his hold on Yuuto's haori, he stumbled back before gracelessly falling on his ass. Rubbing his cheek, he lifted his head to protest, but his retort died on his lips as he saw an _incredibly_ upset Momo, her hand just now coming down to her side.

"Mo-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH, RENJI!" she yelled, and he cringed as he saw tears sparkling in the corners of her eyes. "What the hell is WRONG with you? Why do you hate Yuuto-taichou so much? What has he done to piss you off?! WHY are you so MAD at him?!" Fists at her sides, her petite arms trembling in restrained anger, she shook her head to will the tears back, and only just succeeded.

"He's been nothing but kind to us -to ALL of us- since he got here. He's helped me get over Aizen, he's helped Rukia and Ichigo get back together, he gave Kurosaki his FUCKING POWERS BACK, and he's gone out of his way to try and make us stronger so that we can face whatever twisted shit Aizen has planned for us."

Renji opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand to silence him. "Shut it."

If the group's eyes hadn't already bugged out of their skulls at Momo's quite colorful use of profanity, they were definitely now, as she looked ready to strangle the red-headed pineapple.

"In case you don't remember, he took an attack that could have wiped most of us out. He used HIMSELF as a shield, and to disregard that as WEAKNESS..."

Shaking her head, she looked him dead in the eye. "We are no longer friends, and I don't want to see you again, Abarai-san."

He paled at that. Momo was using his name formally, and she _never_ did that. He moved to stand, and felt an arm hoisting him to his feet; to his ever-continuing surprise, it was Yuuto's.

"Renji, I'll talk to her. Just...go back to your barracks. You might want to take a few days off."

Nodding dumbly, he thanked him before wandering aimlessly back to his quarters, seemingly in a daze.

Sighing, Yuuto rubbed the back of his head. While he knew Renji was angry, he probably had a good idea why. While happy-go-lucky and slightly clueless on the outside, Renji harbored unrequited feelings for Rukia on the inside. With Ichigo and Rukia's now formal attachment to one another, his feelings had been hurt severely, and he took out his pain the only way he knew how to: By redirecting it at someone else.

Turning, he regarded the faces of the remaining trainees. They'd all managed to get to their feet by this point, the outburst from Momo helping them to easily forget their previous fatigue in place of pure shock value. Rukia's expression was similar to Soifon's: Disbelief that such an event actually took place just minutes ago. Toushiro's expression was more guarded than it was before, but he could easily see the concern he had for Momo's feelings in his eyes.

He'd talked to Toushiro on more than one occasion, and found that the supposed boy captain was actually a rather startling intellectual, making up for his lack of stature with the ability to think 5 moves ahead of his peers. He also knew that the white-haired captain cared deeply for Momo, as one would care about a sister or brother. He considered her family, as he had no family of his own, save his grandmother who'd passed away some time ago.

Seeing Yuuto's knowing look, Hitsugaya gave a barely perceptible nod, indicating that he understood what he was conveying with his eyes. The older man had promised he'd look after Momo when he couldn't, so he knew that his promise to talk with her was genuine.

Turning, Yuuto wasn't prepared for the sudden embrace of his lieutenant, nor the onslaught of heart-wrenching sobs that shook her frame. Surprise was quickly replaced by sadness, and he wrapped his arms around her, whispering soft words in the hopes of getting her to calm down. Her blubbering continued, however, and he turned to the three spectators as he continued to rub her back in a soothing manner.

"I don't think I need to say this, but training's over for today. We won't be regrouping for a few days, so take the time to do what you need or want to do."

Rukia nodded, and quickly left to find Ichigo, whom she suspected was doing some training of his own. Toushiro gave a curt nod then, with one last look over his shoulder, went to find Matsumoto. He could only hope that his lieutenant could have a talk with Momo, and hopefully bring her spirits up. It's not that he didn't trust Yuuto, it's just that even he knew that some things were off-limits when it came to talking to girls, and he suspected that the reverse was also true.

'_Girl talk.'_ he thought with a shiver.

Soifon remained firmly planted where she was, watching Yuuto do his best, albeit awkwardly, to calm his fukataichou down. Holding her in a firm embrace, rubbing her back, whispering softly into her ear and making little jokes to try and get her to laugh instead of cry.

Soifon felt like a heel for thinking this, but couldn't help but feel jealous of the crying girl. She wished that he would hold her like that, whisper things into her ear, rub her back, make her laugh.

As if on autopilot, her legs began to move, and with great mortification, she realized they were carrying her towards the pair.

'_Damn you, body. You traitor! Halt, I say!'_

When they continued to disobey, she tried again._ 'Cease and desist!' _Again, she got nowhere.

_'STOP FUCKING WALKING!' _Finally, her legs stopped, and she heaved an internal sigh. '_I'm so glad I stopped in ti-_'

"Soifon?"

_'Fuck me.' _she cursed, before the dark part of her brain took that phrase and shot it straight to the gutter. Blushing heatedly, she shook those thoughts from her head and addressed Yuuto, who was patiently waiting for her response to his question.

"Y-yes, Yuuto-san?"

"Can I help you somehow?"

Mentally smacking herself, she completely forgot that SHE walked over to HIM! Cursing her legs yet again, she scrambled for something to say.

"Er...I...would you like me to, uh...help you?"

Cocking his head to the side, and ignoring the rosy hue her cheeks had taken, Yuuto seemed a little confused. "How so?"

'_Baka! Quit prancing around the bush and offer your services!'_ a part of her screamed.

_'I know what services **I'D** offer him._' chuckled the mind-gutter.

Flushing scarlet, Soifon once again pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. "I-I was h-hoping I c-could assist you in g-getting Momo to calm d-down."

Now Yuuto was REALLY confused. He had no idea why Soifon was blushing, and she never seemed to stutter when she was talking to other people. For all his lauded battle expertise, when it came to romantic matters, Yuuto was SERIOUSLY lacking experience. He'd been a young boy of 8 when he'd died and came to Soul Society, so he wasn't exactly knowledgeable about romance. Hell, he'd still thought girls had cooties back then.

Still, he recognized a genuine offer of assistance when he saw one, and he wasn't about to turn it down.

"Sure, Soifon. I'd be glad to have you help." Grinning, he patted the captain's shoulder. "Let's go back to the barracks. I think Momo needs some time to relax."

"Y-yeah, sounds good."

Nodding, he bent and scooped up the still crying Momo and began to Shunpo back. Snapping out of her reverie Soifon sped after him, although her mind quickly focused itself on other things.

'_HE TOUCHED ME! HE TOUCHED ME! BY KAMI, HE TOUCHED ME!'_

_'**Down, girl. He patted you on the shoulder. It's not like he-'**_

_'DON'T you finish that sentence.'_

_**'*snicker* What?'**_

_'You know what. Now stop thinking like a hentai before we flash-step ourselves into a tree.'_

_**'Hmm...point taken. Still, to think you'd react this strongly to him.'**_

_'Shut it.'_

_'**Oho, someone's getting tes~ty.'**_

"Soifon?"

Snapping once again out of her inner thoughts, she flashed Yuuto a smile before speeding ahead. Yuuto, now confused once more, merely shrugged and sped to catch up.

* * *

Rukia didn't have too much trouble finding Ichigo. The small collection of pockmarks and craters in the ground told a tale of destruction and...frustration? Either way, the lack of discernible foliage and boulders made the clearing easy to find.

Looking around, she spotted Ichigo clad in his Bankai, the chain draped lazily against his right arm. Striding over to him, she slapped his back. "HEY! Training's done for the day, so I thought you and I could-"

"Not now, Rukia."

Blinking, she peered around Ichigo's frame, and widened her eyes slightly when she saw his face. A serious scowl was present, and she didn't like it.

"What's the matter?"

Shaking his head, he deactivated his Bankai, his Shikai taking its' place as he mentally wound the bandages around his blade, securing it onto his back as he began to walk away. "I...I'm not sure, Rukia...I think I need to talk to Yuuto-san."

With one Flash Step, he was gone.

Rukia's frown mirrored her inner thoughts. _'Something's wrong, and he doesn't want to talk to me about it. Whatever it is, it's got him on edge. He's tense, and his reiatsu is screaming agitation. I hope Yuuto-san can help him.'_

* * *

Yuuto had just finished putting Momo to bed, the exertions of the day enough to completely wipe the fukataichou. He was conversing with Soifon when Ichigo Flash-Stepped into appearance. The two captains blinked, before Yuuto smiled.

"Ichigo! What can I do for you?"

His shihakusho suddenly fisted, he stared directly into the Substitute's eyes, which bore no room for argument.

"My powers. They haven't fully come back."

Eyes widening, the two captains shared a brief look, before Yuuto was jerked back to face Ichigo.

"Answer me! Why haven't they come back fully?"

"What do you me-"

"DON'T you screw with me, Yuuto. When I fought Aizen, I was much, MUCH stronger than I currently am. I am about as powerful as I was when I completed Jinzen. After that, I trained in the Dangai for at least 500 normal hours, bringing me equal with Aizen and then some."

Peering into the other man's eyes, Ichigo bit back some of his rage. "Why. Am. I. Weaker. Now?"

Yuuto frowned, before gripping Ichigo's hand, and gently but forcefully removing it from his robes.

"I have two things to say to you, Ichigo. One you may not like, and the other you DEFINITELY won't like. However, if you interrupt me while I'm telling you these two things..."

The air became oppressive immediately, and Soifon's knees nearly buckled. Ichigo's eyes widened slightly, but he remained standing. What shocked him was the hardness in the normally-kindhearted captain's eyes.

"I will hurt you. Badly. Do I make myself clear?"

Stoically, Ichigo nodded, and the atmosphere changed immediately, Soifon's breathing returning to normal in a heartbeat. She stared wide-eyed at the man before her.

'_He's normally so kind, so gentle with everyone. But...just a moment ago...I didn't recognize him. His reiatsu...it's so brutal.'_

"I talked with Urahara-san, and learned that you used a technique called the Final Getsuga Tenshou, correct?" When he received a nod, Yuuto continued. "From what I've been told, this put the entirety of your reiatsu into one, massive attack, and then buried whatever remained deep inside your soul. I also gathered that you were told, either by Urahara-san or someone he spoke to, about the repercussions of using such a powerful technique."

Again, Ichigo nodded. "When you collapsed the first time, all the training you'd done in the Dangai reversed itself, and gradually was released from your body, causing a massive drop in power." Ichigo's eyes widened, but Yuuto continued. "I was able to restore your powers, but I could not restore the training you'd lost from using the Final Getsuga Tenshou. That training is irrevocably gone. It will never come back."

Ichigo paled, but Yuuto was quick to add to it. "However, that isn't to say that you'll never get that strong again." Some color returned to Ichigo's cheeks. "Suffice it to say, you gained an INCREDIBLE power boost from training in the Dangai. When you used the Final Getsuga Tenshou, you sacrificed that power boost, as well as your surface reiatsu, to defeat Aizen. You CAN gain that power back, but you're going to have to start from scratch. I'm basically saying I could only restore you to Jinzen level, nothing more, and the training you did after Jinzen is entirely up to you."

Ichigo nodded.

Yuuto took a deep breath, and exhaled. "Secondly, we've received reports that there's some suspicious activity brewing in Karakura Town. We're not entirely sure what's going on, but Soul Society is keeping a close eye on it. It could be Aizen, or it could be an entirely different 3rd party. We're not sure. I tell you this not to panic you, but to inform you to keep on your toes. With Aizen free to roam Hueco Mundo, nothing is certain at this point."

Ichigo sighed. "I figured as much. I guessed that as soon as my powers came back trouble would start brewing again. I'm not too surprised; to be honest, I'd be more surprised if there WASN'T trouble back home."

Yuuto chuckled, and slapped Ichigo on the back. "That's m'boy. Come on, Soifon and I were getting ready to head out and get something to eat. You should join us." The blush on the 2nd Division captain's cheeks went mostly unnoticed. Ichigo couldn't help but grin, but not for the reasons Yuuto was thinking of.

"Sure, I'd love to."

_**Chapter 9 took a bit longer than I anticipated, due to the recent manga updates as well as Kubo throwing more crap into the wind. Kubo, I love ya, but seriously, pulling stuff out of left field like that is not cool, man. Anywho, you know the drill: Comment, Rate, Review, all that good stuff. Make sure to get your recommended daily dose of fiber, as well. Your colon thanks you!**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Welcome to our Xcution**

_**A/N: Just for future reference, I'm going to be using the Lost Substitute Arc as a template of sorts, where some things will remain the same, while others will be changed, sometimes drastically. As you'll see once you start reading, I'm skipping the part where Ichigo goes through the various phases of getting his Fullbring, as they were both tedious and rather dull. I'm picking up where he fully completes his Fullbring, as it seems like a good place to start.**_

_**Without further ado, enjoy...**_

Ichigo panted heavily as he wiped the sweat off his brow with his one good hand. The other was holding his newly acquired Fullbring, and while he wouldn't say it was easy to obtain, had he not had his Shinigami powers to help boost his training along, he wouldn't have completed it anywhere near the time he had.

Thinking back, he shook his head at Yuuto's 'assignment' for him: "Espionage and Infiltration", he called it.

Ichigo called it pawning work off on a subordinate.

_**Flashback**_

"_Ichigo, I need to talk with you. You got a sec?"_

_Said strawberry nodded, sheathing his Zanpakuto in its' white cloth wrappings. Reaching over, the Substitute grabbed a towel and wiped his face. "What's up?"_

_Yuuto looked around the training area...or what was left of it. Debris lay scattered everywhere, and the gouges and grooves in the ground and surrounding foliage lay testament to Ichigo's rigorous training._

"_How goes it, first off?"_

_Ichigo blinked. "The training? Well, I'm not making much progress. My Bankai may be mature, now, but the training that I did in the Dangai was what really boosted me when I fought Aizen. Without that, I'm not sure I could stand up to him a second time."_

_Yuuto hummed in thought, rubbing his chin with his finger. "Tell you what: I've got an assignment that might just help you out."_

_Ichigo cocked an eyebrow. "Really? What is it?"_

_Yuuto grinned. "An Espionage and Infiltration mission."_

_Ichigo was already walking back to his spot in the clearing. "Not interested."_

_Yuuto's arms flailed, and he scampered over to Ichigo's spot. "Hold on a second! I haven't even told you what it's about!"_

_Ichigo gave him a blank stare. "So? I've never been good at those sorts of things. Remember the Ryoka Incident?"_

_Yuuto thought back to what he'd been told of Ichigo and co.'s first trip to Soul Society. Needless to say, it hadn't gone as planned._

"_Bah, this is different. All you have to do is pretend you haven't gotten your powers back."_

_THIS got his attention. "Why would I need to do that?"_

_Yuuto wrapped an arm around him conspiratorially. '_The fish is sniffing the bait. Now to make it take a bite.' _"Well, this isn't something I should tell you in great detail about, unless you're going to take the mission. It's in Karakura, by the way-"_

"_What?! What's going on back home?"_

'Almost...' "_I'm sorry, Ichigo, but I can't tell you unless-"_

"_I'll do the damn mission. Now what's going on?"_

'Hook, line, and sucker. Papa's gonna eat sushi tonight!' _Mentally, Yuuto was grinning ear-to-ear. On the outside...well, he was still grinning. "Alright, here's the plan..."_

* * *

Sure enough, Soul Society's intelligence had been right on the money. They knew the exact location of the group "Xcution"'s Headquarters, an abandoned warehouse in the market district. However, they had no information on the group's members, nor their ultimate goal. In fact, they had been very secretive as of late, hence the need to discover their objective, and eliminate them if need be.

Ichigo wasn't too keen on the elimination part. He wasn't a mercenary, nor was he a soldier. He didn't kill Hollow, Arrancar, or even rogue Shinigami if he could help it. Of course he'd slayed his share of lesser Hollow from time to time, several Gillian and even an Adjuchas or two. Hell, he'd nearly killed Grimmjow when they fought the third time in Hueco Mundo, but he never dealt the finishing blow which would have ended the panther Espada's life. He really wasn't a big fan of killing.

Nevertheless, if push came to shove, he'd do what he needed to do to protect his friends and family; they always came first.

Shaking his head out of the stupor he'd put it in, he deactivated his Fullbring and gave a tired smile to Kugo Ginjo, his Fullbring Mentor and one of his best friends in Xcution.

Ginjo was fairly-sized, not a giant like Chad, but bulkier than Ichigo. He had straight black hair slicked back, brown eyes and a fair complexion adding to the "Bad Boy" ensemble he had going, a fur-covered collar adorning his dark leather jacket which he wore over a white wifebeater, and dark pants with brown loafers. A small chain around his neck completed the outfit.

"So? How's it coming along?"

"It's getting there. I'm getting more of a feel for it each time I use it."

Ginjo clapped a hand on his shoulder, smiling. "That's the way it works. I must say, though, you're the only person I know who's fully mastered his Fullbring in under a week's time. It's got to be a record of some sort. Even I took two weeks to master mine."

Ichigo laughed and shrugged. "Maybe I'm just a quick study."

Ginjo narrowed his eyes. "No, it's not that..."

Ichigo nearly swallowed his tongue when Ginjo gave him a cursory look. '_Does he suspect I'm not telling him the truth? If he figures it out...'_

Ginjo went from glaring to grinning in a heartbeat. "You're a prodigy, man! A fighting genius!"

Roaring laughter came from the slick-haired man, and Ichigo managed to chuckle along with him._'Good God, that was close. I thought I was screwed for a second.'_

"By the way, Ichigo..."

"Hm?"

"You know Riruka's got the hots for you, right?"

"EH?!"

"Oh, come on, don't tell me you haven't noticed?" Ginjo smirked. "The way she keeps staring at your ass is priceless."

"I DON'T WANT YOU TALKING ABOUT MY ASS!"

Ginjo laughed again. "I'M NOT THE ONE STARING AT IT, UNLIKE RIRUK-*_CLANG*_OHGODTHEPAIN!" Ginjo collapsed to the ground, holding his head as a frying pan skidded off to the side of the room.

"YOU ASS!"

Turning his head, Ichigo regarded another of Xcution's members, Riruka Dokugamine. Unlike Ginjo, Riruka was of slender build, but had curves to compensate for her demure stature. She had a white, fluffy hat with two rabbit ears on the back, flopping backwards instead of standing straight up. Magenta hair tied into twin pigtails matched her magenta eyes, and her fair skin only accentuated her good looks. A black dress covered her body, with white fabric over her ample breasts, a tiny black ribbon near the top of the fabric. Thigh-length black boots completed her getup.

The normally hot-tempered and playful Riruka was currently fuming at Ginjo, a furious blush on her face as she kept in mind Ichigo was still in the room. Stomping over to the fallen Fullbringer, she proceeded to kick him in the side, Ginjo's howls of pain echoing through the room.

"YOU. HAVE. NO. RIGHT. TO. TELL. PEOPLE. ABOUT. MY. PERSONAL. LIFE!" she roared, each word accentuated with a rather hash kick to the man's ribs. Ichigo couldn't help but wince when she cocked her leg back on the last one and practically buried her foot into the man's side.

It could have been his imagination, but he swore he heard a cracking noise.

"What's going on in he-oh, it's just you, Riruka. So loud..."

"SHUT IT, YUKIO, OR YOU'RE NEXT!"

Yukio Hans Voralberna, a young boy by comparison to the other Fullbringers, wore a dark cap over his light blonde hair, his bangs covering his left eye as his other green eye shown with barely-concealed boredom. His dark trenchcoat was of British-styling, with a white ascot in the front. White gloves, dark pants, and dark boots topped off his outfit, along with the small portable gaming console he always carried around.

"Like I would let you hit me. I'm not a mule like Ginjo."

Said man whimpered slightly, and Riruka put her foot on his back, grinding the heel into his spine. He whimpered louder.

"Yeah? Who says you get a choice in the matter?"

"I'm sorry, would you care to repeat that? I wasn't paying attention."

Riruka practically ground her teeth into powder as she did her best to bore holes into Yukio's head with her eyes. "You...you..."

"Hey guys, Giriko wanted me to let y-oh. A gathering? Why wasn't I invited?"

"It's not a gathering, Jackie. More like a, 'Watch Ginjo Get His Ass Kicked By Riruka Halftime Show.'"

"Shut your cakehole, Yukio, or I'll shove my foot up your-"

"Riruka! Behave; we have a guest, in case you weren't paying attention."

Jackie Tristan was the only black female in Xcution, her dark hair, dark brown eyes, and dark skin matching her dark outfit, consisting of a brown, low-cut shirt that showed off her large breasts, dark form-fitting trousers that showed off the curve of her buttocks, and dark knee-high boots. The boots were scuffed and dirty, coming from years of wear and tear which probably indicated they were her favorite pair.

Riruka blushed heavily upon remembering that Ichigo was, unfortunately, STILL in the room.

"Now come on, all of you. Giriko's just finished making the tea, so we're ready to eat."

Riruka huffed, and pushed off of Ginjo's back, a groan coming from the abused as she flipped one of her pigtails over her shoulder. As the group entered the dining room, Riruka shook her head. "It's about time. Giriko's getting slow in his old age."

A frown on his face, Giriko Kutsuzawa came around the counter of the bar, a tea tray in hand before he placed it on the table to join the early dinner that had been prepared beforehand.

Giriko was the oldest-looking member, short dark hair matching his thick dark mustache, his one brown eye heavily lidded to the point it looked as if he would pass out standing up. His other eye was covered by a thick black leather strap that wound diagonally around his head. His white shirt was covered by a dark gray gentleman's waistcoat with a rather thin bowtie, black pants and polished black shoes adding to the bartender look.

"I heard that, young lady!"

"SHUT IT, YOU OLD FART!"

"WHY I NEVER-"

"I BET YOU HAVEN'T!"

"HOW DARE YOU-"

"Enough bickering, you two." A soft, deep voice cut through the arguing duo, silencing them both as the hulking man entered the room. Ichigo smiled when Chad looked his way, earning him a smile in return.

Yasutora Sado, better known as Chad, was a hulking beast of a man, easily towering over his friends and Fullbringers alike. Like Jackie, he was the only black male in Xcution, with cropped, wavy brown hair that covered his right eye, his left eye brown to match his skin and hair. A tight, long-sleeved green t-shirt covered his massive chest, his upper body covered with bulging muscles from excessive training. Dark blue pants and brown shoes made his outfit a casual one.

As the group settled down to eat, Ichigo couldn't help feeling...off. He didn't know what it was, as it seemed right in front of him, but just out of grasp. Like trying to remember a word, and having it on the tip of your tongue, yet you're unable to remember it.

Either way, as he went home for the day, he couldn't shake that feeling.

Something was wrong.

* * *

As Ichigo reached his doorway, he stopped when his heart skipped a beat. Looking down at his hands, he felt a tremor go through them. Shaking it off as nerves, he opened the door and walked inside.

"Hey, I'm ho-"

"ICHI-NII, YOU'RE BACK!"

Yuzu, his youngest sister, practically threw herself into his arms, giggling happily as he ruffled her hair.

"You're becoming more like dad with the greetings, Yuzu."

She pouted. "Don't compare me to dad. He's weird when he does that."

Ichigo shook his head. "Speaking of the old man, where is he? Where's Karin, too?"

Yuzu shook her head. "Dad's off on a weekend trip to Kyoto, I think. His letter wasn't too clear on where he was going, only that he was going to be back soon. As for Karin..."

Her eyes lit up and she sprinted off towards the living room. "We've got a special guest here tonight. Karin's waiting with him in the living room. You'll NEVER guess who it is, Ichi-nii!"

Ichigo cocked an eyebrow as he followed her. "Special guest, huh? Can I have a hint?"

Yuzu slowed down a bit to let her big brother keep pace. "Hmm...well, I suppose one couldn't hurt. I'll give you one: It's a cousin!"

Ichigo's other eyebrow joined its' sibling higher up on his brow. "A cousin?"

Yuzu rounded the corner and bounced into the living room. "Onii-chan's home! Say hi!"

When Ichigo rounded the corner, he couldn't have breathed if he tried.

Sitting in a relaxed pose with a small smile, on his couch, in his very house...

Was Shukuro Tsukishima.

Tsukishima wore a long-sleeved white dress shirt with brown suspenders attached to his dark pants. Black shoes matched his wavy black hair, and his brown eyes were cool, yet collected as they stared passively at Ichigo.

He couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breathe...

This...

This was the same man that had tried to kill the entirety of Xcution just the other day! And he was IN. HIS. HOUSE!

Yuzu's voice snapped him out of his stupor, but only slightly. "SEE! I KNEW you would be surprised, Ichi-nii! It's Shuu-chan! We haven't seen him since Grandpa Rin's funeral, and that was years ago!"

Karin, from her place on the opposite couch, nodded with a small smile on her face. "It sure brings back memories, huh?"

Tsukishima took that moment to turn his head fully in Ichigo's direction, his smile widening and twisting slightly.

"Why hello, Ichigo~ It's been a while, ne?"

"He came over this afternoon after school, and stayed for dinner. It was such a nice meal!" Yuzu beamed as she said this, completely oblivious to Ichigo's demeanor.

Karin shook her head, a small frown on her face. "He just showed up unannounced, like always. He hasn't changed a bit."

Tsukishima turned and gave Karin a small smile, all traces of venom he'd used just moments ago gone from his voice. "Sorry, I guess I annoyed you guys. I apologize if I was an inconvenience."

Karin looked away, blushing slightly. "I-I didn't mean it like that..."

Yuzu began to speak, but Ichigo, having finally snapped out of it, was already in motion. "Ne, Ichi-nii, you should probably-"

Gripping the front of his dress shirt, he hauled the man to his feet. "You bastard...what...are you DOING here?!"

To his dismay, Yuzu and Karin were at his side in an instant, both tugging on his arm as they tried to get him to release Tsukishima.

"Ichi-nii, what are you DOING?!"

"Yeah, let him go!"

"You're hurting Shuu-chan!"

"Is it because he came over without asking?"

"You're acting weird, Ichi-nii. Stop it!"

Ichigo's grip only tightened, his eyes hardening as he did his best to make Tsukishima's head implode with his sight alone. "What. Did. You. Do. To. Them?"

Tsukishima turned to his sisters, a reassuring smile on his face as he all but ignored Ichigo's question. "It's okay, girls. Ichigo's just a serious guy. He's probably annoyed with the fact that I came unannounced and stayed so late, is all."

Ichigo was about ready to punch him through the wall. "Answer m-"

_***DING* *DONG***_

While Ichigo looked surprised, Tsukishima looked calm, as if he'd been expecting the doorbell. What came out of his mouth not only confirmed that, but sent a chill of dread down his spine.

"Yuzu, would you be a dear and get that? It's probably Keigo and the others."

Ichigo's heart once again skipped a beat. Tsukishima had done something to his sisters. Had...had he done the same to his friends, too?

As his friends greeted Yuzu, making small talk as they removed their footwear, Ichigo could hear the blood pounding in his ears. He wondered if everyone else could, too.

Keigo and Mizuro rounded the corner first, smiling upon seeing Ichigo. Tatsuki came next, frowning and complaining about Ichigo spending long nights out on the town, doing "God-knows-what" in an angry manner, stating that Yuzu and Karin "must be worried sick about you".

Tsukishima's small smile never left his face, even as he greeted everyone like they were long-lost pals. Ichigo began to visibly pale, his friends' warm greetings to the Fullbringer only confirming his worst fears.

"Ah, I almost forgot."

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Tsukishima spoke, turning wide eyes to the man.

"I need to call Chad and Orihime. They would _love_ to join our little gathering."

His heart dropped upon hearing their names, just _knowing_ that they'd also been changed. His blood began to thud harder in his ears, the sound deafening to all except Tsukishima's soft voice while he spoke to Orihime on the phone, assuring her that most everyone was already there, and that she should come over, too.

"Yeah, we're all over at Ichigo's house right no-"

_***THWACK***_

_***CRASH***_

Tsukishima was hurled bodily into the plate glass sliding door, the glass shattering and causing several cuts to appear on the man's back. In an instant, Ichigo hurtled over him, speeding off into the night amidst cries and shouts of astonishment and outrage.

"Someone...anyone...I WANT SOMEONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND!"

"Ichigo!"

Whipping his head around, Ichigo tensed when Ginjo caught up to him, panting heavily.

"He got them...they fell for it..."

Ichigo blinked as Ginjo continued to catch his breath. "Who? What?"

"Riruka...Giriko...Jackie...Yukio...they all fell into Tsukishima's trap."

He paled when reminded of the similar fate that befell his friends.

"They're not themselves, huh?"

Ginjo's eyes widened. "How did you...?"

Ichigo looked off to the side, clearly distressed. "He got to my friends and family, too. They all see him as my "_long-lost cousin._" He spat the last part out with clear disdain.

Ginjo clasped a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, I have a spot where we can talk in private."

* * *

Both were visibly exhausted upon arriving to the hideout. Ginjo told him on the way that this was a spot that no one, not even Tsukishima or the other Fullbringers knew about. It was his "contingency hideout".

"I think...I think I finally figured out what Tsukishima's true ability is."

Ichigo whipped his head around, staring. "You have?"

Ginjo nodded grimly. "Tsukishima's Fullbring, "Book Of The End". It's a Fullbring that uses a bookmark." Ichigo quirked an eyebrow, but let him continue. "It matches his original item's form, that of a bookmark. I always wondered why something as benign as a bookmark would end up transforming into a blade, but now it makes perfect sense."

He faced Ichigo and broke the bad news. "When they attacked me -the other Fullbringers- they said, "It's time you remember, too." I thought at first his ability was to confuse others, but they said remember, not alter my opinion or change my mind. Tsukishima's ability...is to _**insert**_ himself into the past of the people he cuts."

Eyes widening, mouth opening in protest, Ichigo knew it was true the moment Ginjo spoke the words. Even as he shuddered with the realization, Ginjo continued. "You heard them, the people Tsukishima 'stole'. It's not about trusting or not trusting him. To them, he's _always been there_. Somewhere in their past. Whether it's been as a friend, a family member, or even a lover. They were deeply attached to, and cared very much for, him."

Stepping forward, he braced himself to deal the deathblow to Ichigo's emotions. "They're speaking from _**memory**_, Ichigo. To them, it's _**us**_ that are insane. The ones who don't 'know' Tsukishima.

A pained, tormented sound tore itself from Ichigo's throat, a cross between a garbled moan and a whimper. He backed up until he hit the wall, clutching his head and trying to hold back the torrent of emotions that flooded his brain.

One came to the forefront, and stayed there.

"If...if I kill Tsukishima...will they go back to normal?"

Ginjo sighed, as if he knew the question was coming. "To be honest...I don't know."

The pained sound tore itself from Ichigo again, the sound of an animal being beaten while it was down.

"It's possible that if he dies, the spell snaps like a twig between two fingers. It's also possible that it will not dissipate until Tsukishima _wishes_ it to, in which case we'll have burned that bridge forever, having killed the only person that could undo the spell. That would also make us murderers in the eyes of our friends, and in your case family."

"However..." Ichigo looked up, seeing the fire burning in Ginjo's eyes. "Whether or not the spell breaks is of little consequence." Seeing him about to protest, Ginjo held up a hand. "The ONLY way to break the bond that ties them to Tsukishima...is to kill him."

The protest died on his lips, and Ichigo's eyes widened. "Can you do it, Ichigo? Can you _really_ kill him, despite not knowing what will happen afterwards?"

"_**Ara, what an unpleasant discussion."**_

Whipping their heads around, both stared at the entrance, as Yukio rounded the corner.

Ginjo was the most disturbed by this turn of events. "...H...how?! How did you know...?"

A tiny, bug-like set of pixels shot up from Ginjo's coat, zipping back and inserting itself into Yukio's controller. "Really, Ginjo, you must not be in your right mind. As I've told you before, we've made it so that, even when apart, we _always_ know where each other are."

Ginjo began to sweat, visibly shaken.

"It's fine, Ginjo, Kurosaki. Tsukishima, I, and everyone else...none of us are mad at you. We just want to help you. If you follow me, we can fix you guys right up."

With that, Yukio turned and walked out of the entrance.

Ginjo cursed the moment he left. "Ichigo...we have no choice. This was the LAST spot I knew we'd be safe, and they know about it now. We've got to do as he says for right now."

"I know."

Ginjo turned and gaped at Ichigo. His resolve strengthened, Ichigo began to follow Yukio, Ginjo reluctantly trailing behind.

Ichigo ignored the forest around him, ducking branches and parting shrubs only when necessary.

Upon reaching the designated location, a large abandoned mansion, Ichigo didn't even wait for instructions. Ginjo made a grab for his arm, and settled for his wrist.

"Don't just go barging in there, Ichigo. You're walking into enemy territory! What about the possibility of traps?!"

Tsukishima scoffed, stopping the two as they turned to regard him at the front of the mansion.

"If I'd wanted to set traps for the both of you, I'd have done so in the forest. Now please, come inside."

With that, Tsukishima entered the building, Yukio close behind him.

Ginjo let go of Ichigo's hand, and followed Ichigo into the building.

Immediately, lights flew on and streamers popped as Ichigo's friends and family welcomed him back into the "fold". He all but ignored their pleas to apologize to the "kind Tsukishima" and pushed his way through them, mounting the stairs two at a time with stoic presision.

Rounding the corner, he entered the upper room, where the other Fullbringers were there to greet him. He ignored them and focused completely on Tsukishima.

A loud crash echoed through the room, and Ginjo entered the room, his Cross of Scaffold alight on his right shoulder. "I destroyed the staircase, so no one can enter the upper floors. Now it's just us and them, Ichigo."

Nodding his thanks, Ichigo wasted no time in donning his completed Fullbring, the transformation barely complete before he disappeared.

Tsukishima cried out in anguish, his left arm falling to the ground with a thud, his stump bleeding profusely as he held his Book of the End in his remaining hand.

"So that's...your completed Fullbring...ngh...you've gotten much better since our last encounter."

Ichigo let his blade drag on the floor, trailing Tsukishima's blood in its' wake as he approached the man. "If that's supposed to be a compliment, I'm flattered. Regardless, talk while you still can. I'm going to make sure they're your last words."

When he got within feet of the bleeding man, he was forced to leap back suddenly as an El Directo blasted its' way through the spot where he was just standing. Chad entered the hole his attack had created, Orihime following as she ran over to Tsukishima, wordlessly using her Souten Kishun to re-attach and heal Tsukishima's severed arm.

Ichigo actually managed a growl in her direction, and she seemed visibly disturbed by that. Chad stepped forward his left arm transformed into its' shield form. "Why are you doing this, Ichigo?"

"I don't have time to talk, Chad. You wouldn't understand, anyway. What I CAN say that you WILL understand...is that, if you don't get out of my way, right now, I'm going to force you to move."

Chad blanched at the declaration, his resolve wavering slightly as he saw the complete and utter loathing Ichigo directed towards Tsukishima.

"Last chance, Chad. Get out of my way, or I'll be forced to make you."

Chad frowned, arm held at the ready. "I'm not some pushover, Ichigo, and I won't let you harm Tsukishima-sa-"

"Then I have my answer. Sorry, Chad, but this is going to hurt. A lot."

His eyes widened as Ichigo vanished. Inoue's shout let him know that Ichigo was behind him, but he just couldn't react in time for the foot that planted itself upside his head, knocking him into the wall hard enough to have the plaster shatter like glass.

"Chad!"

Orihime ran over to help her friend, leaving Tsukishima once more alone.

"To attack your friend with such ferocity...have you no shame, Ichigo?"

"While he's under your spell, he's not my friend. He's yours."

Tsukishima smirked. "True."

"As it stands, I've done nothing more than knock him unconscious. I can't afford to have him and Inoue getting in my way, and it will be a lot easier to kill you when they aren't watching."

Tsukishima held up his hands in a lazy gesture. "Kill me? Whatever have I done to-"

"Cut the CRAP, Tsukishima! You've 'inserted yourself' into my friends' pasts, have made them think you're not only their friend, but my relative, and have fucked around with my life. You're going to pay for what you've done!"

Tsukishima's eyes widened. "You know about my power?"

"Yeah. Ginjo told me as much."

Tsukishima frowned. "That man has always had a big mouth. This time he's spoken too much."

Hefting his small blade, Ichigo pointed it at Tsukishima. "This time, he's spoken enough. So have you."

* * *

Cursing, Ginjo was hurled through the window, wiping a trickle of blood from his head. "Five against one really isn't fair. I wonder how Ichi-"

Turning, he gasped before pushing off the landing and shooting towards the other fight.

* * *

Ichigo cursed as Chad, who'd been revived and healed by Orihime, blocked another strike meant for Tsukishima. "Get out of my WAY, Chad!"

Cocking back for another swing, this one was deflected by Orihime's shield, the yellow barrier visibly cracking from blocking such an attack.

"DAMNIT, TSUKISHIMA! QUIT HIDING BEHIND MY FRIENDS AND FACE ME!"

A sudden gust of air caused him to turn, his reaction time not quick enough as Tsukishima's blade arced through the air...

And embed itself deeply in Ginjo's chest.

"...Sh..shit..."

And then he fell, plummeting to the rooftop below. He landed with a sickly thud, and didn't stir.

"**GINJO!**"

Swooping down, Ichigo knelt by the prone man's side, grasping his jacket and hefting him to a sitting position. There was no blood, so that could only mean-

"...shut up."

Ichigo blinked, as Ginjo opened his eyes and groaned. "Don't get distracted by me, Kurosaki. If Tsukishima cuts you...it's all over."

Eyes widening, Ichigo spun and barely blocked a strike from said man, pushing him backwards and standing in front of the downed Ginjo.

Without turning around, he regarded him. "Are you okay, Ginjo?"

Shaking his head, he started to stand, Ichigo still in front of him. "No idea. All I know is that I still perceive him as an enemy... and you as a friend."

Ichigo smiled. "That's good."

A small noise, of shoes making contact with the roof, made Ichigo turn.

Ishida...

'_Which side are you on? He was likely cut by Tsukishima, but Inoue healed him. Yet, Inoue was ALSO cut by Tsukishima. So did she heal him before she was cut, thus negating the effects of his Fullbring, or did she do it AFTER she was cut, so he could help fight me?'_

_'Which side are you ON, Ishida?!'_

Without warning, Uryu drew his bow, causing Ichigo to mentally curse.

"So you ARE one of them, Ishida."

He didn't reply. Instead...

"Come here, Kurosaki."

Ichigo didn't move.

"I already checked downstairs. Everyone's fine."

Still nothing.

"I'm on your side, Kurosaki."

"As if."

"What are you doing? Hurry UP, Kurosaki!"

"Ishida..."

"KUROSAKI!"

Ichigo's eyes widened.

"You don't get it, do you, Kurosaki! THE MAN WHO CUT ME..._**IS STANDING RIGHT BEHIND YOU!**_"

_**CLIFFY...sort of.**_

_**Anywho, decided to thin out the confrontation between Ichigo and his friends/family under Tsukishima's control. Also with the fight between Tsukishima and Ichigo; just a tad. REALLY wasn't interested in the fight between Ginjo and the other Fullbringers, because to be honest, most of their abilities are crap, and the fight was a fight in name only.**_

_**Still, I'm VERY much looking forward to the upcoming chapter. It'll be fun to write, seeing as it's a pretty good fight. Hope you all are looking forward to it, too!**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Deathberry's "Rebirth"**

"You don't get it, do you, Kurosaki!" shouted Ishida, all pretense of calm thrown aside in blind panic. "**THE MAN WHO CUT ME...**_**IS STANDING RIGHT BEHIND YOU!**__"_

Eyes wide in disbelief, Ichigo had little time to react, and was just able to turn around as Ginjo prepared to stab him.

Ishida fired off a shot quick as lightning, but Ginjo deflected the bolt, his sword raised high before he brought it down...only to be intercepted by Rukia's blade, her snow-white sword trembling against the might of the Fullbring.

"Rukia!"

"Ichigo, quickly! Change into your-"

"YOU'RE IN MY WAY!" roared Ginjo, the follow-up swing blocked, but with enough power behind it to send Rukia flying.

Ichigo had no time to yell her name, as he quickly found Ginjo's blade embedded in his chest, his mouth curled into a sneer while Ichigo slumped to his knees.

"Kurosak-ack!"

Ishida folded like a wet paper bag, a red line carved from his left shoulder to his right lower back. He hit the ground and twitched in agony, while Tsukishima smirked from behind him.

Ginjo let out a cruel laugh, one that got louder as he took in his surroundings. Ragged breathing from Ichigo got his attention, and he turned to regard him.

"Ginjo...why...Tsukishima's power worked, after all?"

Ginjo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it 'worked', all right. Don't get me wrong, though. I didn't become your enemy because he cut me..."

Reaching into his back pocket, Ginjo pulled out a Substitute Shinigami Badge and slapped it onto his Cross of Scaffold. The badge merged with Ginjo's hilt, and formed an ornate skull with a black X on its' forehead.

"I made him cut me a second time, so I would return to my _original_ self." He smirked. "I'll be taking your Fullbring now."

Uryu cursed, pushing up onto his arm as he watched the beginnings of the power transferral. Suddenly, a white circle appeared beneath the two men, and Ginjo forcibly disconnected from Ichigo, leaping back as the circle transformed into a towering pillar of ice.

When the pillar shattered, Ichigo was slumped over, breathing heavily as Rukia landed by his side.

"Ichigo! Are you okay? I'm so sorry! I didn't stop him in ti-"

"R-rukia."

She paused in helping him to stand.

"It's not your fault. I got careless, trusted a man I barely knew because he seemed like my only ally. If I think about it now, it all seems pretty set up. I assumed that they didn't know a lot about Soul Society, but when you think about it, they already knew about a Shinigami Daiko, which few people knew about before I showed up to rescue you. Hell, most of the lower seats thought it was a fake I.D badge, remember?"

She nodded, and picked up said badge. The small blade that had been Ichigo's Fullbring weapon had reverted to his Substitute Badge. The pulse was not as strong as it had been beforehand, but there was still some Fullbring power left in the badge. She handed it to him, and he slapped it to his chest.

Ginjo and Tsukishima regrouped, and were just in time to see the explosion of reiatsu, the vortex of energy parting to reveal Ichigo in his Shinigami garb.

Ginjo's eyes were wide. "Th-that's...impossible."

Ichigo clutched his chest in awe. Rukia noticed this. "Ichigo?"

"M-my Fullbring...what was left of it...merged with my Shinigami powers."

Rukia blinked. Before she could reply, a loud laugh echoed through the air.

"Fullbring? Shinigami powers? Cut the bullshit. You have no powers left, Kurosaki. Remember?" Hefting his blade, Ginjo smirked. "I took them all."

"Just because you look like a Shinigami now doesn't mean your powers are intact, or that they've returned. Besides, even if this woman over here" he gestured towards Rukia nonchalantly "had given you a power transferal, it only worked the first time because you had Shinigami powers inside of you to begin with. But you HAVE NONE!"

"And even IF all of that weren't the case, how could one measly Shinigami's pitiful reiatsu manage to accomplish all that?"

"**Because it wasn't her that did the transferal, baka.**"

Whirling at the sound of a new voice, Ginjo gaped as a massive Senkaimon opened, revealing Soifon, Renji, Toshirou, Momo, and Yuuto, the one who'd spoken.

Shaking his head, Yuuto stepped out of the gate, followed by the rest of the Shinigami. "Honestly, Ichigo. I gave you a simple reconnaissance mission, and-"

A foot to the side of Yuuto's head caused him to soar across the rooftop, before slamming face-first into the side of a wall. He was up in an instant, a large bump on his head as he roared in anger.

"What the HELL was that for?!"

"For giving me this so called, 'simple reconnaissance mission', you lazy jackass!"

"I try to help you out, and THIS is the thanks I get?"

"HELP ME?! YOU TRIED TO PAWN YOUR WORK OFF ON ME!"

"WHY I NEVER-"

"THEN DON'T!"

"THAT TEARS IT! COME HERE, SO I CAN TURN YOU INTO A REAL STRAWBERRY!"

The scuffle began, and sweatdrops were present all around. Rukia palmed her face and sighed, while Hinamori giggled at their antics. Soifon was developing a tick on her forehead, while Toshirou was working on his second. Renji walked over to Rukia, and leaned close to whisper, "You SURE this is the guy you want to date?"

Rukia gave him a blank stare. "I was sure before THIS happened."

Renji nodded. "Good enough."

Tsukishima turned and regarded Ginjo as the fight began moving back and forth across the rooftop, chunks of concrete and various debris flying left and right like some kind of cartoon scuffle. "Amusing, isn't it?"

Ginjo roared with laughter. "I'll say. One thing that Kurosaki has in spades is comedic presence. Probably his only good quality, but it's a doozy."

A resounding **THWACK** followed by Ichigo being bodily hurled from the cloud of debris ended the fight, the Substitute skidding on his face before he slid to a stop at Renji's feet. The pineapple nudged the body with a toe, before looking towards Rukia and shrugging.

Yuuto emerged from the scuffle with a few tears in his haori, but none the worse for wear.

"Ahh. That's much better. Now that Ichigo has learned the value of teamwork and camaraderie, let's get down to business, shall we?"

Another round of sweatdrops from all present, but they were shaken off much quicker this time.

Renji hauled Ichigo to his feet, where the latter proceeded to dust himself off before unwrapping his Zanpakuto. "I got to thank you, Ginjo. Your training of my Fullbring really gave me a power boost. I appreciate that, if nothing else."

Ginjo sneered. "I told you once already: You HAVE no Fullbring. It's mine."

"**HOW UNDERHANDED OF YOU, KUGO GINJO!"**

The new voice had heads turn to regard the other Fullbringers, where Giriko stood with fists clenched. "You promised to SHARE Kurosaki-san's powers with us, remember?!"

Riruka's eyes widened. "WHAT?! I NEVER AGREED TO THAT!"

Ginjo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I didn't forget."

Ginjo disappeared, and seconds later, all four Fullbringers gasped as Ginjo's blade cut through each of them. All four tensed, and reiatsu burst from each of them.

Giriko crowed. "This...this is...brilliant...this..."

A small explosion kicked up dust and dirt, which quickly faded as the wind took over, blowing it aside to reveal the four in new outfits, their power dramatically increased from using Ichigo's stolen power.

"This...this is Ichigo's Fullbring power! So much power! It feels as if I've become 20 years younger!"

Yukio scoffed. "You're such a geezer, Giriko."

Giriko's outfit had become much more pronounced, with white armor covering his hips and the upper part of his left chest and shoulder. 9 circular clocks float in a circular position behind him, and his eyestrap gained several gold circular decorations.

Yukio's outfit remained mostly unchanged, with the only real difference being the two metallic gauntlets that reached to mid-forearm.

Jackie's outfit received the most change, with her original Fullbring's scarf now completely covering her upper body, her pants went from being black and white to pure white, and four motorcycle engines appeared on her body, two on her right shoulder, and two on the backside of her thighs.

Riruka's outfit had gained white armor as well, with a broken heart-shaped piece covering her breasts, her once floppy bunny ears now rigid and bent atop her head. Two white armor gauntlets covered her arms up to mid-forearm, and each had two yellow spikes on each end, curving like horns on a bull. A yellow collar and pink tie completed the new outfit.

"Aren't you going to give some to Shishigawara-kun? We should include everyone, Ginjo."

Ginjo turned and regarded Tsukishima with a bored stare. "Nah, it would be far too troublesome if his powers got any stronger than they are. As a matter of fact, when we're done here, make sure to kill him."

Tsukishima's small smile disappeared, and a neutral look overtook his face.

"That's...too bad. I kinda like his power. I think it's interesting."

Giriko stepped forward from the group, arms aloft as he regarded Ichigo's passive look of disdain. "BEHOLD, KUROSAKI ICHIGO. YOU WILL NOW EXPERIENCE, WITH YOUR OWN BODY, THE VERY POWER OF THE FULLBRING YOU SO GENROUSLY DONATED TO US!"

Renji growled. "Don't go boasting off of stolen power, you creep-"

"Renji, it's okay."

He looked at Ichigo, and the orange-haired man nodded. "It's my fault they're stronger. I let my guard down, so I'll take responsibility and take them out."

The rest of the Shinigami watched as Ichigo landed in front of the Fullbringers. Giriko scoffed. "Really, Kurosaki Ichigo. You intend to defeat us all? How narrow-minded-"

In an instant, Ichigo was behind them, Jackie, Yukio, and Giriko falling to the ground with deep slash marks on their chests. Only Riruka was spared, and she turned to Ichigo with wide eyes.

"W-why...?"

He smiled softly. "Because I heard you. You never intended for this to happen, and I believe you."

She frowned, and her eyes became bright with unshed tears.

"Anyway, they are gravely wounded, but I avoided their vitals. They won't die."

"_**Won't die, you say? How unabashedly arrogant.**_"

"Huh?!"

Ichigo turned around, spotting the bodies of the three Fullbringers crumbling into...pixels?

"_**It wasn't a case of, "Enemy was Defeated" but rather, "Enemy avoided Attack!**_"

As soon as the bodies disappeared completely, the three Fullbringers emerged unscathed, Yukio smiling as he rubbed his gauntlet, a small radar dish folding up and disappearing inside it.

"**Digital Radial Invaders.** This is the power of your Fullbring, Ichigo. It covers the body, and brings the inner power out into the open. That is how my **Invaders Must Die** was allowed to escape the game console. I can now freely control space in the real world, and create entire separate dimensions with my control gauntlets."

Looking around, Yukio smiled and pressed a few buttons on his gauntlet. "Looks like the players are all in place. Time for a little sparring practice."

First, Renji and Jackie disappeared into a dimensional doorway. Next came Rukia and Riruka. Followed by Hinamori and Shishigawara. Then came Yuuto and Tsukishima. Next were Soifon and Giriko. Even Ichigo and Ginjo got a room. Finally, Toshirou and Yukio disappeared, leaving the entire forest area deserted.

* * *

Soifon sighed as she watched Yuuto disappear with Tsukishima. "Damn him for getting the strong one. Can't believe I got stuck with this weakling."

"Weakling, you say? How unsightly for a young lady to be so rude towards her opponent!"

Turning, Soifon regarded Giriko with bored eyes. "Can you hurry up and die so I can go help Yuuto? If you have a sword or something, can you just fall on it? Better yet, I'll lend you mine."

Giriko smirked, showing perfect white teeth below his thick mustache. Reaching up, he tweaked a small knob attached to his armor, the dial clicking as it settled on the number 3. "I suppose an ignorant young girl such as yourself doesn't know what true power is. The likes of you can only be taught through brute force; therefore, I shall grant your request."

Almost immediately, his clothing shredded, the armor kept in place preserving his decency as he grew into a massive, hulking monstrosity, skin turning green as his muscles bulged and expanded grotesquely. He easily towered over Soifon, his hand as large as her entire body.

"**BEHOLD! MY TIME TELLS NO LIES ALLOWS ME TO MAKE A CONTRACT WITH THE GOD ****OF TIME! THE CONDITION OF EACH CONTRACT IS THAT THE SIMPLER THE CLAUSES, THE MORE POWER I'M GRANTED. AS A RESULT, THIS CONTRACT CALLS FOR THE SIMPLEST, MOST BRUTAL STRENGTHENING OF POWER IMAGINABLE! I AM NOW THE STRONGEST-**"

_*CLICK*_

A thin, almost invisible line ran diagonally across Giriko's face, running down his neck and across his chest before ending at his inner left thigh.

Soifon's hand left the hilt of her sword, a hateful look on her face. "Don't preach to me about power, worm. I know a man with TRUE power, and he would never waste his time on the likes of you."

Giriko let loose a gurgling groan of pain, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

"Im...impossible...I am..."

His body split in half, blood and internal organs showering the white room as the two halves of Giriko Kutsuzawa impacted the ground with a tremendous _THUD_.

Immediately, the bloodied room went up in digital smoke, leaving Soifon in the forest, alone, with a vertically bisected corpse for company.

"I'm the first one out, huh? Fucking perfect."

* * *

Ichigo looked around, cocking an eyebrow at the virtual reconstruction of Karakura town. "Neat trick. Can he make a balloon animal next?"

"Hardly. Yukio isn't nearly that skilled."

Ichigo chuckled as he turned to face Ginjo. "So, you and me, huh? By the way, love what you've done with the place."

Ginjo laughed in reply. "Same old Ichigo. Even if you are a worthless Shinigami pawn."

The small smile left Ichigo's face, and he brought his blade to bear. "We gonna talk, or fight?"

"Hold on, Kurosaki."

Ichigo glanced to the side, and saw Ishida stroll up. "Can't let you fight fairly against him, now can I?"

Ginjo whistled. "Two versus one? Guess I better power up, huh?"

Reiatsu flared wildly, erupting from seemingly nowhere and coalescing around Ginjo, the purple flames of spirit energy shooting outwards when Ginjo finished.

His outfit had changed drastically. His black, skin tight suit was covered with white, bone-like armor, a ribcage over his chest and sheath of bone covering his legs up to mid-thigh, a white bone belt wrapped around his waist, bone shoulder pads, bone arm guards, and bone-covered gloves. A white fur collar completed the ensemble.

Ishida was shocked. "Y-you...you're..."

"The First Shinigami Daiko, Kugo Ginjo."

Ishida turned to Ichigo, while Ginjo's eyes had widened. "How...how did you know..."

"Ukitake-san told me all about you in preparation for my mission. When I met you, I couldn't believe that you were the same person. He described you as full of hatred: For the Shinigami, for other Fullbringers, for everyone who'd ever betrayed you."

Ginjo smirked. "You don't know the truth though, do you, Kurosaki? About what the Substitute Shinigami Badge REALLY is, right?"

Ichigo shook his head, getting Ginjo to smirk even more. Yet before he could continue...

"Ukitake-san told me everything."

Mouth agape, Ginjo's eyes were wide as possible. He took a step back, then another. "Impossible. If you knew, you wouldn't...you wouldn't side with them...you WOULDN'T!"

Ishida was stunned. "Y-you knew?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I suspected. Why was I given a badge when it did me absolutely no good? No one knew of a Shinigami Daiko. The first time I used it as I.D only confirmed my suspicions, but I assumed that Ukitake-san had a good reason."

Ginjo growled. "Enough talk, traitor. If you know what they've done, what they're planning to do, and STILL choose to ally yourself with them, I'll kill you with the rest of them."

* * *

Toshirou calmly sped down a hallway, avoiding or slicing through pixellated rockets.

"Well, at least we know one of his abilities: To be able to trap people in different dimensions of his making."

"**How very accurate! Would you like a few bonus points for being so smart?**"

Another rocket shot his way, and his blade passed through it like a knife through butter, the two halves detonating seconds after they were cut. "I think I'll pass."

Turning, he swung his blade and the door behind him was covered in ice, the interior frozen solid.

Laughter made him turn back to face a digital screen. **"Don't tell me you honestly though I was in there. Have you completely given up on finding me? We've only been at this for, oh, 15 minutes or so. Do I need to say something corny, like 'That girl's life is in my hands.' for you to power up?"**

Toshiro growled. "Such an annoying twerp."

* * *

Rukia blinked at the comment. "You DON'T want to fight?"

Riruka nodded, looking off to the side. "That's right. You're a friend of Ichigo's, right? I wouldn't want to harm someone whom he cares about."

Rukia wanted to say she COULDN'T harm her, but if she could avoid a fight altogether, that would be much better. So, swallowing her pride, she put on a nice smile-and-nod routine.

"Yes, that's right."

Riruka nodded, then managed to get closer to Rukia, so close that she felt her personal space was being invaded. Riruka leaned forward and whispered into her ear.

"Sorry about this."

Before she could react, two yellow spikes slammed into her chest, Rukia's gasp of surprise echoing as a bright green light enveloped the room, before Riruka vanished. Eyes closing, Rukia fell to her knees before slumping to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

Yuuto sighed, gazing up at the night sky.

"You honestly think you have time to stare at the moon?"

Turning, Yuuto grinned. "Actually, I was thinking."

Tsukishima smiled. "Thinking? Of what?"

Yuuto smiled back, drawing his blade. "That you're incredibly lucky to be my opponent."

Tsukishima's smile turned into a frown. "Really? How so?"

Yuuto shrugged. "Oh, you know. If you'd fought Ichigo, he would have held back out of the possibility that he could convince you to undo the damage you've done to his friends and family. Soifon would have considered you beneath her, and would have possibly lost because of that. By the way, I'm working on her personality. It's a tough slog, but it'll work out."

Tsukishima's grin returned. "And you? What makes you so special?"

Yuuto replied with a grin. "I won't hesitate to kill you, and I know that you're a fairly dangerous opponent, with that nasty little ability of yours. So I'll be careful, but ruthless."

Tsukishima smirked. "You make it sound as if I can't even TOUCH YOU!" He swung his blade, but it was blocked easily by Yuuto's left hand, not a single scratch appearing on his skin.

"I think..." he began, while Tsukishima looked on in growing concern as black reiatsu built up around Yuuto, "that you and I are going to have a _**Hell**_ of a time."

* * *

_**Chapter 11 is up, and we're getting near the end of the much-shortened Fullbring Arc. Made some radical changes, and I like where it's going. Like, Favorite, Follow, Subscribe, etc. If you don't, Rabid Warbot Monkeys From The Future will break into your house at night and wreck up the place! Muwahahahahahaaah!**_

_**Anywho, do any of the above which you want to, and have a good rest of the day.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Screaming Invader**

Hinamori ducked to the side, avoiding another punch from the young punk-looking man, the tree he punched groaning in agony as it broke in twain, falling to join its' brothers and sisters on the forest floor, 12 and counting.

She frowned as he turned and yelled at her. "Stop moving! If you let me hit you, this'll be over in a flash!"

'_This is strange...his punches do not pack enough power to break a wooden sword, let alone an entire tree trunk. Yet he's felling them left and right with a single punch...'_

She ducked another punch, and the bandages around his hand fell away, revealing brass knuckles shaped in the form of a slot reel, with three 7's lined up in a row.

Eyes widening slightly, she deflected another punch aimed at her gut, gasping when Tobiume's blade cracked.

Shishigawara laughed. "Ha! You're pretty lucky, girl. Had that punch hit your stomach, you'd be coughing out blood right now. Unfortunately for you, however, your sword wasn't so lucky."

Lashing out, Momo attempted to cut his arm off, but he leapt away, laughing as he landed on a tree branch. **"Jackpot Knuckle. **That's the name of my Fullbring.See, that last attack I made hit the jackpot. Your blade "just happened" to crack from wear and tear. Just like those tree trunks "just happened" to break from old age." He grinned, thrusting his fist out in a fistbump motion. "Lady Luck is on my side, girl. You don't stand a chance."

Momo glared at him, holding her blade out in front of herself. "Hajike, Tobiume!"

A large cloud of dust erupted from her position, and Shishigawara used his forearm to cover his eyes, coughing from the sudden kickup.

When it cleared, Momo's Zanpakuto was completely repaired, with 3 additional prongs jutting out from her main blade. Snapping her wrist forward, Momo let loose a fireball at Shishigawara, forcing him to dodge lest he get roasted.

Momo continued to hurl fireballs at him, forcing him to dodge them or punch them with his Jackpot Knuckle, the flames immediately dispersing upon impact with the Fullbring.

"Hahaha! Is this all you got, girl? You can't hurt me with this!"

Momo said nothing, only continuing to hurl fireballs at the punk. He ducked behind a tree, then barrel-rolled out of the way as the tree erupted in flame. Bringing his arm back, he punched the next one, and leapt back as it exploded in flame, as well.

Panting, he hit the ground running, only this time heading towards his attacker, arm cocked back. "Don't you mess with me!"

Momo merely ducked the swing, bringing her blade up in an upward strike meant to cleave him in two. Shishigawara leapt back, but his shirt bore a scorching slash up the middle, indicating how close he came to being bisected.

Growling, he lashed out again, only to roll out of the way of another fireball. Cocking his fist back, he punched the next fireball, and grunted in pain as the skin on his hand blistered from blocking the attack.

'_What? H-how's this happening? My Jackpot Knuckle...the probability of me hitting a jackpot is going down?!'_

He ducked the next fireball, and attempted to punch the following one, only to cry out when it seared the flesh on his hand, the skin turning a sickly brown as it was burnt by the attack.

_'I've never used my Fullbring this much, so I never knew the probability could go down like this! It's always been one-hit KO's before, but with this girl...she's pushing my Fullbring to its' limits.'_

Rolling away from another fireball, he took off at a dead spring towards Momo, fist cocked back in an attempt to end this before his probability dropped off completely.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, BITCH!"

"Not likely, punk."

A large, searing diagonal cut appeared on his torso, Shishigawara's gasp of agony echoing though the air as he slumped to his knees.

"F...fucking hell...I...lost.." he gasped, his eyes wavering between states of consciousness. "Sorry...Tsukishima-san..."

He fell forward, his body hitting the ground as he passed out from the pain and exhaustion. Momo shook her head, and calmly sheathed her Zanpakuto. The forest they'd been in dissolved, revealing the REAL forest surrounding Karakura Town. Sparing Shishigawara one last look, she dashed off into the trees in the hopes of finding her comrades.

* * *

Renji stood on the rock with a neutral expression, the roar of an engine cutting the silence that permeated between him and his foe.

"You're not going to attack me?"

Renji scoffed. "I don't attack women first. Personal policy of mine."

Jackie chuckled. "I see. What a gentleman. Yet, perhaps your world's a bit close-minded? I bet you've never met a woman stronger than you before."

Renji rolled his eyes. "Stronger or not, I'm still not attacking first."

Jackie smirked. "Oh? Then it's not just your world, but your understanding that is small."

"What's that motorcycle engine doing on your shoulder? If you rev it, do you power up or something?"

Jackie smiled. "Ara, Shinigami know what motorcycles are?"

Renji shrugged. "Hisagi-senpai got his hands on one, once. Brought it into Seireitei and got into a whole mess of trouble with it. Ended up destroying 2 buildings, 7 vendor stands, and a chicken coop. Got his ass thoroughly whipped by his taicho."

"But I digress. What's it for?"

Jackie patted the engine. "This little baby is what's going to help me open up your small, pitiful world. It's going to allow me to show you just how weak and powerless you truly are."

As if on cue, the engine roared, motor oil spewing from the exhaust as it began to cover her body, her smile growing wider and more demented as she got more and more covered in it.

"My **Dirty Boots** become stronger the dirtier they get. But thanks to my recent 'upgrade', the boots are only part of it, now. ALL of the filth that covers my Fullbring adds to my overall power."

Bringing a foot up, she smirked. "Your sword. You really should draw it, Shinigami."

Slamming it down on the ground, the entire cliffside behind her exploded into chunks of rock and debris, causing a small wave to wash over Renji. Said man only blinked to get the water out of his eyes.

As soon as he did so, he ducked, Jackie's leg sweeping over where his head had just been.

"Nice reaction time, Shinigami. But..."

Bringing her leg around in another arc, she grinned wildly. "REACTION TIME ISN'T ENOUGH WHEN YOU'RE FIGHTING ME!"

Her foot connected with his stomach, her laugh of triumph followed by a gasp as Renji slid a few feet backwards, before standing straight once more, a bored expression on his face.

'_I-impossible...I got him! I GOT HIM!'_

Renji brushed off his robes, cracking his neck a few times before speaking. "Alright. I've seen enough. Give me everything you have on your next attack. Hit me with everything you got. All of your so called 'power'."

Crying out in rage, she shot towards him once more. "That kind of arrogance...IT'S GOING TO GET YOU KILLED, SHINIGAMI!"

Cocking her leg back as far as it would go, she swung with all of her might, intending on separating his head from his body...only to stop dead when the back of his hand blocked her attack.

Not to say it wasn't strong, though, as the entire plateau behind Renji simply shattered like so much glass from the shockwave, the stone and rock splashing into the water as Renji, for the first time in the entire fight, gripped the hilt of his sword.

"I've been training...for 17 months...to be on par with Aizen." Drawing his blade, his sword hadn't even left his scabbard before he slammed the hilt into Jackie's stomach. Her expression of surprise belayed her wheeze, as all the air left from her lungs.

Letting his blade slide the rest of the way back into his scabbard, Renji watched as Jackie limply fell to the ground, gasping for air as she tried to regulate her breathing.

"Someone of your caliber...doesn't even BEGIN to have any hope of fighting me. Man or woman, you just don't cut it."

* * *

Yukio watched as Jackie's SPR (Spiritual Pressure Reading) dropped to zero, and he sighed as he deactivated the spacial dimension around the red-haired Shinigami. "And another one bites the dust...these Shinigami are carving through us like wet paper. First Giriko, then Riruka. Shishigawara, and now Jackie. Maybe I should up the difficulty settings-"

Yukio was interrupted by a loud crash, as the door to the room burst inwards, a thin coating of ice covering it.

Turning, Yukio put on a fake smile as he saw Toshiro walk through the frozen entrance.

"Well done. VERY well done. You finally managed to find me. I was beginning to think you'd given up. Since you got here, you must have powered up somewhat, right?" Giving Hitsugaya a cursory one-over, his smile dimmed slightly. "You're not hurt at all? Not even a scratch? How dull."

Toshiro merely stared. "Tedious talk. Let's finish this." An ice dragon was sent hurtling towards Yukio, who brought up a pixellated shield. The dragon impacted the shield, and the wall behind Yukio exploded with ice, the wall directly behind him actually bursting open.

"Ara, what would you have done if there had been a bomb in the next room? You would have activated it with that attack. You should really be more careful how you use your sword."

Hitsugaya shrugged. "My Zanpakuto is an ice-type. Any bomb I hit will be instantly frozen solid."

Yukio grinned. "Ice-type? So cool."

"Enough frivolous banter."

"I agree, the time for talk is near an end." As he said this, the walls around them repaired themselves, pixels filling in the holes, cuts, and marks as the walls returned to looking brand new.

"You can repair the rooms? How convenient."

Yukio smiled. "It is, isn't it? You see, while in here, my will is absolute. I am a god in this space."

Hitsugaya frowned. "A god, you say?"

He smirked. "Exactly. For example, a god has the power to create beings from nothing, correct?" Even as he said this, a monstrosity appeared behind Yukio, hulking in size and shape. "Well, so can I."

"Huh, you really can create creatures from nothing. Then surely you must be a god. Forgive me for doubting you." quipped Hitsugaya, a small grin on his face.

A frown marred Yukio's, however. "Are you mocking me? You FOOL! You still don't understand the full extent of my power, do you?"

Hitsugaya leapt forward, dodging a fist the size of his entire body as he sprinted away from the creature.

"What's the matter? Are you scared? Frightened? Why don't you turn and face my creation?"

"You could limit my ability to dodge, can't you? Considering you're a god and all. That should be an easy feat for a god."

Yukio clenched his teeth in anger. "Mocking me still, are you? Fine, I'll show you what happens when a god uses all of his powers."

Toshiro looked behind himself to see the very room morphing into tentacles, claws, mouths with gnashing teeth and giants with hands the size of cars.

"It's useless to run now. I've programmed this entire room, the walls, the ceiling, even the very floor, to chase you down until you're dead. There's no escape from their relentless onslaught."

Ducking under a claw swipe, Hitsugaya kept his distance and changed directions.

"What's the matter? Afraid that my creations will catch you? Devour you? Rip you apart and feast on your flesh? You must have grown up in a loving household, right? That's why you're such a weakling, I take it?"

Hitsugaya spared a look at Yukio. "So, you're an abandoned child? How sad."

Yukio's eyes widened, before hardening in rage. "What the FUCK are you spouting?! I wasn't abandoned! I left THEM! It was MY choice, MY decision! Those foolish people couldn't understand, and neither can you! My stupid foster parents never suspected that I'd steal their company away from them! They hadn't a _clue _that I siphoned every last cent from their bank accounts! The _looks_ on their faces when they learned their company had gone bankrupt in a single night! You cannot even imagine the pure, unadulterated JOY I felt when I learned of their suicide-"

"How pathetic."

Eyes widening in surprise, Yukio whirled around to face Toshiro, a look of disdain on his face. "You're stuck in the past, unaware of the present." Reaching out, he gave Yukio a shove, forcing the boy to backpedal until his foot stepped on something.

Ice immediately shot up his legs, freezing him in place. Reaching for his control gauntlet, Yukio paled to find it frozen solid, his fingers unable to operate the buttons.

"I wonder...if it's really okay..."

Yukio turned to regard Hitsugaya, that same bored expression plastered to his face. "Is WHAT okay?"

"I was wondering if it's still a good idea for you to keep the setting, "Chase me until I die" on. That's all."

Mouth opening in horror, Yukio turned around to see the entire room of monsters that HE created...barreling down on him with the strength and ferocity of a freight train. At once, he realized that the only thing between his creations and Toshiro...

Was him.

A shrill, bloodcurdling scream shot through the room as the monsters descended upon their former master...

Only for them to shatter as they were turned into ice, limbs as large as tree trunks scattering across the room while the entirety of the band of monstrosities crumbled and broke apart.

Staring in shock, Yukio began to laugh, a tinge of insanity echoing forth as a grin plastered itself on his face.

"Haha hahahahaha hahaha! What?! That's it?! I knew it! You're just like all the others! You took pit-

The tip of a sword came within an inch of his left eye, and Yukio's laughter died in his throat.

"Were you about to say pity? Don't tempt me to kill you out of spite. I have no interest in your sordid past." Hitsugaya turned his head to regard the silent youth. "However, even if I kill you, there's no guarantee that your death will lead to the opening of these spatial dimensions. Therefore..."

Ice began to creep up the rest of Yukio's body, and he screamed as he was nearly frozen solid.

"How about we compromise?"

Yukio blinked as the ice halted, his gauntlet unfreezing on its' own. "Make this dimension vanish in the next 5 minutes, and I will let you live. If you fail to do so..."

Ice began creeping again, and Yukio whimpered. "I'll kill you without a second thought."

* * *

_**Chapter 12. Cut, Print, and off to the papers.**_

_**My life's been rather hectic lately. I've just recently moved into a new place, and I'm still adjusting to my new surroundings. It's not like I've never moved before, but with all the stress regarding the sale of my grandmother's house, setting up my financial aid for college, getting a dorm room, scheduling classes, etc, I haven't had a lot of time to simply relax.**_

_**Hopefully I'll get to do a little more of that before I start college in the spring, but one never knows.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


End file.
